Redemption
by staci.jordan1
Summary: Danny and Lindsay are trying to restore their relationship to what it was before Danny cheated with Rikki. Someone strange is stalking Lindsay and Danny has to work fast to protect her. Can he save her when she needs him the most? Reviews are more than welcome. This is my first fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The music blared from the loud sound system at the front of the bar. Karaoke night was always a huge hit at _Pigkins_. Danny had just arrived after waiting ten minutes in the line outside. He searched through the throng for the rest of his friends and hoped that Lindsay had arrived as well.

Things hadn't been going well for the two of them lately. He had made a huge mistake, one that he regretted more than anything. What was the old adage? You don't realize what you have until it's gone. Yeah, that about summed it up. Danny shook his head, trying to remove the morose thoughts and remind himself that he was going to be a new man. A new man for Lindsay and he was bound and determined to set things right, get things back to the way they were. Now, just to find Lindsay.

Looking to his left, Danny noticed Flack motioning to him with a Budweiser in his hand.

"Hey, Danno! Over here! We saved you a spot." Danny noticed that Don was motioning to an adjacent high table where he, Stella, and Adam were sitting. Danny pushed his way through the mess of people and joined the group.

"It's about time. We've been waiting here for over an hour," stated Stella.

"Sorry. I was stuck in traffic. You know how people get when it's snowing outside. No one knows how to drive. Then, I had to wait out in the line just to get into this place," said Danny.

"Yeah, we had to wait forever. We were lucky that Lindsay got here first and saved us all a spot."

"Lindsay's here? Where" said Danny.

Flack responded with a quick wave of his hand to the front of the bar where the stage was set up. "Up there somewhere. She wanted to get a song in before it got too crazy in here."

Danny looked in amazement at the amount of people in the room and stated, "She's really going to sing tonight? I didn't even know she knew how."

"Of course I know how. There's not much more to do in Montana than go to the local bar and sing karaoke," Lindsay stated this as she seemed to materialize out of thin air behind Danny. "Just because I don't advertise, doesn't mean that I don't do it."

She gave Flack a quick wink and laughed with Stella who couldn't seem to keep a straight face.

"Hey, I don't mean any disrespect there Montana. I just didn't know about that part of you" replied Danny who seemed to have had the breath knocked out of him.

Lindsay lost the laugh and the smile when Danny called her Montana. Danny knew it was a gamble, but her wanted to gauge how she was feeling tonight. Some days she ran a little hot and other a little cold. Tonight she was hard to read.

"It's been a while since you called me that. I've missed it" whispered Lindsay so that only Danny could hear her. Maybe tonight would be a good night.

As the group waited for Lindsay's number to be called, "Before he cheats, by Carrie Underwood" they talked about little inconsequential things and sipped on their beers.

"Hey, that older guy over there can't keep his eyes off of you Linds" remarked Stella looking to the right, behind Lindsay.

"Is he cute?" replied Lindsay.

"I wouldn't say cute, but definitely ordinary" Came the reply.

"Hmmm. Ordinary could work" stated Lindsay. Both women dissolved into a fit of giggles. Maybe they have had a little too much to drink, thought Lindsay.

Danny witnessed the exchange and turned abruptly to see who Stella was talking about. He found the guy without much searching. This guy wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was ogling Danny's girl. The guy was basic build, black hair, wore glasses, and was about 5'10". Danny didn't feel threatened by him, but something about the guy made the hair on Danny's neck stand up.

"Hey, I don't have a good feeling about that guy. Stay away from him. Okay Lindsay" said Danny.

"Danny, I am not one of those girls who goes home with strange men that I meet at a bar. You should know that about me by now. Remember, trust issues." Lindsay said as she put her hand on Danny's.

The usual tingle and shock went through their embrace and Lindsay pulled her hand away.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" said Danny. "Away from all of them?" he added when Lindsay lifted an eyebrow and looked as though she was going to question him further. "Please" he added hastily.

"Yeah. Sure. Hey guys we'll be right back." Said Lindsay as Danny led her a few tables away.

"Okay Danny. What's wrong? I know this look"

"I want to know if ….." Danny couldn't seem to find the words to complete the sentence before "Lindsay Monroe it is your turn" came blaring over the sound system.

"Hold that thought" Lindsay said as she grabbed his hand and squeezed. "I'll be right back". With that Lindsay pushed and maneuvered her way through the throng to the front of the stage.

Danny returned to his friends and yelled and whistled as loudly as they did when she took the stage. Danny drank in the sight of her. She looked so beautiful up there. The way that the light hit her hair made it shine and her eyes sparkled. The whole world seemed to melt away and no one else existed as she started the number. For her part, Lindsay was playing up the music and acted as though the stage was a natural part of her. This was a new side to her and she was letting him see it. Maybe things would be okay. Every once in a while she would make eye contact with Danny and he would catch his breath. She smiled and sang her heart out. Carried Underwood she wasn't, but she never had to know that. For now he was happy to sit back and enjoy the show.

Lindsay's song ended to massive applause and one beaming smile from the entertainer. As Lindsay walked back to the table, a man stepped into her path.

"I really liked what you did there." He said.

"Umm. Thanks. I enjoyed myself."

"I could tell. Can I buy you a drink? We could maybe get to know one another" said the man.

"I really should get back to my friends." Lindsay replied. There was something off about this man and her intuition was screaming at her to make her excuses and return to the safety of Danny….. her friends.

"They won't miss you. What harm could one drink do?

This was a very persistent man. "Sorry, but I'm seeing someone and I don't want to keep him waiting." The man's eyes narrowed and his lips thinned. Lindsay felt unsafe and wanted to get away as fast as she could.

"Now why is it that I don't believe you Lindsay" came his reply.

Panic began to set in and Lindsay's heart started to beat a staccato rhythm beneath her ribcage. "How do you know my name?"

The man stood there and looked at her for what seemed to be forever. He smiled. Goosebumps peppered her arms. She began to take a step backward. The man's hand shot out and grasped Lindsay's wrist.

"No need to go running off little Lindsay. They announced your name before your song." He took on an air of innocence. Lindsay looked down at her wrist and then back into the man's eyes.

"Please let go of me" Lindsay hoped that her voice wasn't as shaky as she feared.

"There you are darling." Danny came up behind Lindsay and gave her a peck on the side of her neck. His eyes widened as he noticed that the guy from earlier has Lindsay's wrist in a death lock. He could see the whites of the man's knuckles. Danny's smile instantly left his face and his stance changed to that of a protector. Before he could say anything though, the guy dropped Lindsay's wrist and put up his hands in the universal sign of surrender. Danny instinctively took a quick step and put himself between Lindsay and the intruder.

"Hey there buddy. No harm, no foul." said the man.

"Why don't you take a step back and leave now, man" said Danny.

"I will. Didn't know she was spoken for." The man started to turn away.

"Hey, what did you say your name was?" asked Danny.

The man turned around with a smile and stated, "I didn't".

Danny was just about to grab for him when he felt Lindsay's hand on his shoulder; it was shaking. Danny instantly forgot the man and turned to see a chalk white Lindsay looking back at him. She had unshed tears in her eyes and Danny instinctively opened his arms, which she went directly into. Danny turned them slightly so that he could look into the crowd for the man, never letting go of Lindsay while he did. The man was gone. Danny turned them again to witness their friends, with concerned looks on their faces, trying to work their way through the crowd to them.

Danny looked down and took a half step away from Lindsay, never releasing her from his grasp. She looked up into his face. She looked more calm and settled. She began to push away from him, wanting to put distance between them. Danny reluctantly let her go.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. That was one very unsettling man" Lindsay tried to hide her embarrassment at clinging to Danny by stating, "where are the others? I think that I have had enough fun for one night."

Danny was not convinced, Lindsay could tell by the way he was looking at her and by the tension that she could see in his body. She was grateful that he was there when she needed him, again. That seemed to be his M.O. . He was there when she needed him, she just had to allow him to be there.

"The others are coming now." Replied Danny. "You sure your okay? You looked like you had seen a ghost just now." The concern for her was clear in his voice and for a moment Lindsay almost kissed his cheek to calm him. Almost. They weren't there anymore. Something had changed and she thought that she knew what. That was a thought for another time though.

Stella reached them before Lindsay could reply. "Sweetie are you okay? You looked seriously spooked. I'm glad Danny got to you when he did."

Flack and Adam joined them shortly thereafter. Lindsay and Danny reported their different parts to the story to everyone and when they were done Flack wanted to talk to the manager of the bar and see if they had surveillance cameras.

"Don, no. I am fine. The guy was just creepy, that's all. I'm good, honestly" Lindsay pleaded.

"What do you think Danny?" was the reply that she got from Flack.

"I'd sure like to help you with that." Said Danny.

"No. I said enough. This happened to me, not either of you. I would just as soon forget the whole thing." Lindsay said, hotly. She didn't like being dismissed and talked over like she had no say. Whether the guys liked that or not, was of no consequence to her.

"Okay. We will leave it for tonight. We've all been drinking and should probably talk more about this tomorrow when we have level heads." Came Stella's reply.

Adam, wisely, stayed quiet.

"Now, I am going home and going to bed. Thank you for coming tonight, I did have fun, until…" Lindsay let the rest of her statement hang in the air between them.

"I'll drive you home." Lindsay turned to look at Danny, who had made the comment.

A par of her was relieved that he made the offer, but another part was apprehensive. She had made a place for him in her life and in the last two months had felt foolish because of it. Danny had been pulling away from her and was so closed off from her that she didn't know where they stood anymore.

"I'm not sure if…" Lindsay started, while at the same time Stella said, "That sounds like a great idea. The thought of you, Lindsay going home by yourself after what just happened would keep me up all night." Stella looked at Lindsay with a sincere smile and look of concern on her face. Lindsay knew her choice had been made.

"Okay. I'm ready to go when you are Messer."

Danny couldn't help but smirk. He was going to put up a hell of a fight if Lindsay tried to leave alone. Luckily, Stella made that fight moot. Danny still had a bad feeling about not investigating the incident, but he would respect Lindsay's wishes, for tonight at least.

They all made their good byes and Danny and Lindsay left the bar. It was a quiet ride to Lindsay's place and Danny was vigilant at making sure that they weren't followed.

"I doubt that he would follow me home Danny. He was just after…. something. Who would go to these lengths for me?" Lindsay said with a laugh.

"I would follow you to the ends of the Earth." Danny said quietly, he hoped that she didn't hear.

"Danny. We need to talk."

"Yeah, I know. Tonight, though? Are you sure that you're up to it?"

"I have been waiting for two months."

"Okay. When we get to your place. We'll have that talk." Danny stated as he looked sideways to see her reaction to the words.

Lindsay smiled a little and turned to face him in the truck, "Yeah Danny, when we get to my place. Tonight is the night that we finally talk things out." Lindsay then turned back to facing forward and sat quietly thinking about the possibilities for their future.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lindsay fumbled a little with the key to her apartment. She could feel Danny's breath hot on her neck. Danny's hand snaked around her body and he snatched the keys out of her hand. He had the door open before she could even make an exclamation. The door swung open as Lindsay gave Danny a look of annoyance.

"Hey, sorry. I thought that you were having a hard time. I just wanted to help." Danny stated with a smile on his lips.

"You're lucky that I want this talk, or you'd be on your way home now." Came her quick remark. She too had a small smile. Danny decided that he was in no danger of having truly offended her.

As they entered the apartment, Lindsay put her keys and purse on the side table just inside the door. She then hung up her coat on the coat rack adjacent to the table. She kicked off her shoes on the small accent rug that she left there for them and walked into the rest of the apartment. She knew that Danny would do the same. He spent as much time here as she did those few short months they were going strong.

Danny was always impressed with how clean and tidy Lindsay kept her house. The color palate may not have been his choice, but it suited her just fine. The entryway led to a living room that featured cream and blue color coordinated furnishings. The big screen t.v. was situated directly under the large window that faced the city lights. The carpet was beige and lush. Danny remembered how it felt to lay there with Lindsay in his arms. The open floor plan allowed for Danny to easily see that Lindsay was on the other side of the breakfast nook in the kitchen.

"Do you want anything to drink?" She asked.

After some thought Danny replied, "Nope. I need to keep my head clear for this talk." He looked at her and she smiled. She then shut the refrigerator door, but not before replacing the two beers that she has previously been holding in favor of two bottles of water.

"Good idea Messer."

Lindsay came around the nook and settled herself in the center of the oversized sofa. She pulled her feet underneath her and put both bottles onto the glass coffee table.

"Who wants to start?" she asked.

Danny came more fully into the living room and sat to the right of Lindsay on the sofa. He put his hands in his lap and looked at her. Lindsay repositioned herself so that she was facing him without having to turn her head. They sat in silence for a while before Danny said, " this is harder than I thought."

Lindsay smiled and stated," okay. I'll go first." She picked up her water bottle and started to pick at the label rather than look at Danny in the face.

"These last few months have been really hard on."

Pick, pick, pick

"I don't want you to think that I don't know they have been hard on you too" Lindsay looked quickly at Danny to see how he was responding. He calmly waited for her to continue. "Oh, I don't know Danny, I miss you! I hate that I can't talk to you. I feel as if a huge part of me is gone and I don't know if I will ever get it back."

Pick, pick, pick

"I want to be angry and I want to hate you. The sad thing is that…that….I don't know why." Lindsay stopped and again looked at Danny. "Is everything over for us?"

"Lindsay, I want to be with you. You know that I needed time to get over what happened to…..Reuben. I was not in the right state of mind. I didn't want you to see me like that. You kept me away when you were dealing with all that stuff in Montana…"

"You can not hold that against me! We've discussed this and I thought you understood that after what happened when I was a teenager, I have serious trust issues." Lindsay stated angrily.

Danny threw his hands up in the air as if to protect him from the onslaught. "Whoa there Montana, I wasn't through."

"Oh" Lindsay said with a slight puff of air.

"What I was going to say," Danny continued before she could say anything else "was that I understand now why you did that. Losing someone close to you can make you weary of others in your life. I always trusted you" Danny put his hand up as if to silence Lindsay since it looked like she was going to interrupt again "make no mistake about that. While I was dealing with his death, I didn't trust me and the decisions that I was making." Here it comes Danny thought. He had to tell her.

"Like the fact that you were sleeping with Rikki." Lindsay dropped that bombshell and let it hang in the air as Danny tried to suck air into his lungs.

"What? What was that?" was all he could say.

Lindsay took a deep breath as though she was trying to remain calm with a patient child who was not learning that 1+1=2. "I thought that was it." Was all Lindsay said.

Danny seemed to gain enough air to say, "how did you…"

"know?" Lindsay finished for him. All Danny could do was nod his head. "I went to your apartment the day that we were supposed to meet for lunch. I thought that I would surprise you. I was the one who received the surprise. I saw her leaving your apartment and you leaned out to grab her hand and pull her in for a kiss."

"You've known this whole time?" Danny was baffled. He was the one shocked.

"I don't know how long before it started or for how long it lasted, if it still is…" Lindsay wiped a tear from her cheek and Danny wanted to hit himself. How could he have been so stupid, she was a detective for God's sake.

"Lindsay, listen to me. It was that one time, only that one time. You have to believe me. I was hurt and she was hurt and we held onto each other in our pain." Danny tried to explain.

Lindsay held up her hand this time and hushed him. "Danny, I know something about grief. I know that it can make you do stupid things. What I don't understand is how you could hold onto her, but not to me. See that's the part that burns. I wanted a life with you, I wanted a future. I wasn't enough. Now, I have to figure out how to not be in love with you and how to live a life where we are friends. Not lovers. That is my burden to bare." Lindsay said all this while looking directly at Danny, not allowing for him to look away.

"No" Danny grabbed Lindsay's hand "you don't have to live that way. I know that I screwed up, but I want you. I choose you! I…I know that I have shattered your trust in me, but I am willing to try for the rest of my life, to make this right." Danny was breathing heavily by the time that he finished this. He looked at Lindsay and un-shed tears filled her eyes. He waited on baited breath for her reply.

"Danny, I just told you that I loved you." Lindsay shook her head as she dislodged her hand from his. "I am putting more into this relationship than you. I am all in. Or, at least, I was."

Danny's heart dropped. "Was. Is that it? Lindsay I wanna give you forever. I DO love you, but I didn't think that you would'a wanted to hear that."

Lindsay looked at Danny as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Do you hear yourself? Danny I am not ready to forgive you completely. There were days that I wanted to march to your door and tear your hair and eyes, and other things out of your body." Lindsay chuckled a bit remembering the multitude of revenge plots that she had created.

"I don't like that laugh, Montana" Danny chuckled too.

"The point is that of all the times that you should tell me that you love me, now is definitely one of them!" Lindsey threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. "If that is how you really feel, then you should TELL ME!" She nearly yelled the last two words.

Danny grabbed Lindsay by the shoulders and pulled her into his arms. With is mouth by her ear, he whispered, "I love you Montana. I will make this up to you and regain your trust. I promise."

"I love you too, and you better, because we are a long way away from being back to where we were." Lindsay pulled away just far enough to give a sad smile to Danny. He was quick to swoop down and give her a kiss. Lindsay pulled away quickly and took two steps back, away from him. "I'm not ready for that. I don't know when I will be. If you are willing to wait, then I am willing to try again. This time, no pulling away, for either of us. If we are going to make this work, then we are going to have be the support, and the ONLY support for one another. Okay?"

"Absolutely! I will do anything to make this right. I do love you. I will show you everyday and we will take this at your speed. Okay?"

Lindsay laughed because he was asking her the same questions that she asked him. "Deal. Now, I think that we should both get some sleep. I'm emotionally drained for the night."

"Oh. Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then?" Danny started to head to the hallway leading to the front foyer, but stopped when Lindsay didn't answer. He turned around to see Lindsay twisting her hands and chewing on her lip. Concern coursed through him.

"What? What is it? Regrets already?"

"Ha ha. No. I just….I feel foolish asking…."

"What? We are going to have to get over this hurdle of not wanting to burden each other for our new arrangement to work ya know."

Lindsay took a deep breath, "I know. It's just that ….the guy from earlier. No. It's stupid and you'll think less of me…"

Danny took three steps and took Lindsay's hands in his own. "Nothing is further from the truth. What do you need from me?"

"I am still just a bit freaked from that guy and don't really want to sleep alone in here…." Lindsay trailed off and wouldn't continue.

"So, I sleep on the couch for the night. I mean it Linds, anything to make you feel better."

Lindsay looked down at the floor and then looked back up. She softly said, "you don't have to sleep on the couch. You could sleep in my bed. No sex, though. Not yet. I mean it Messer."

Danny smiled, his first true smile of the night and said, "whatever to make you more comfortable Montana. I am here to please."

Lindsay groaned. "I've created a monster! Danny, I do want to go slowly. Maybe not as slowly as the first time, but I want this to work. The thought of you having sex with…makes me…."

"Stop. No more of that. It was a mistake and one that I will not be repeating. EVER. Got it. I do love you. WE will get through this." Danny leaned over to kiss Lindsay on the cheek.

"Okay. Together." She smiled and led him into the bedroom where, true to her word, they slept all night. Together and peacefully.

-Outside the apartment building where Danny and Lindsay slept, he watched. He knew which apartment was hers. He had known before going to the bar tonight. She looked so beautiful tonight; so full of life and promise. He would have her soon. She was promised to him. Soon, very soon she would be his. All he had to do was wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Danny allowed Lindsay to leave the elevator ahead of him. They had just arrived at work and they were both in an exceptionally good mood. Danny felt a sense of calm and relief at not having to hide from Lindsay or keep any secrets. He knew that they still had a long road ahead of them, but he was confident that they could weather any storm as long as they were together.

As Lindsay walked through the halls, she was able to catch glimpses of others watching her and Danny, trying to gauge how they were feeling today. It was no secret that both she and Danny had been more on-edge and curt toward others in the last few months. It was no surprise to Lindsay that people were apprehensive toward them. She smiled and walked happily into their joint office.

Lindsay stopped in her tracks, causing Danny to bump into her from behind.

"Hey. What'd ya do that for?" Danny asked, shocked.

"Danny, you shouldn't have gotten me flowers. I mean I love them, they are beautiful, but when did you have time to get them delivered?" Lindsay beamed up at him just before she approached her desk. On the desk stood a tall vase with long stemmed red roses, baby's breath interwoven through them. They were breathtaking. Lindsay had never had anyone buy her flowers before. She was shocked, but the smile lighting her face was unmistakable. She was happy.

That happiness was short lived though as she turned around to look at Danny. There was no smile on his face and his eyes were hard as marbles.

"I didn't buy you those. Did you forget to tell me anything last night, like that you're seeing someone else?" Danny said with not a little bite in the words.

"Danny…I…..Wait, what?" Lindsay was confused. "There must be a mistake. Surely these were meant for someone else then. I swear Danny, there is no one else. Never has been."

"Is there a card then? Maybe that will help." Now that the green-eyed monster of jealousy was receding, Danny was starting to feel guilty that he was so harsh with Lindsay. "Sorry Montana, I was…."

"Wrong." Lindasy replied, "Yeah, you were. You are lucky that I'm in such a great mood, or I would be angry. Now let's look for a card." Lindsay turned away from Danny before she let him see the look of sadness cross her face.

She started to look through the roses and finally spotted what she was looking for. Taped to the base of the vase was a small pink card with her name written boldly on the front. She turned the card over and read, "_Little Lindsay, Last night did not go as planned. I enjoyed watching you, as I have for a while now. You are the stars to my night sky. We will be together soon. Until then, P._" Lindsay's blood turned to ice in her veins and all of the color drained from her face. She grabbed for the side of the desk as Danny reached her side. She handed the card to Danny, without looking at him, as she attempted to regain control over her breathing.

Danny read the words and a fierce anger and protectiveness fell over him. This bastard was not going to harm Lindsay. Danny would kill him first. He tried to keep his anger leashed as it seethed beneath his skin. He looked down at Lindsay, as she clung to the desk he put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up to him and she looked lost.

"He's been watching me. He knew I would be there last night. He planned to meet me." As she spoke, Lindsay's volume and pitch increased to near ear-splitting measures. She was beginning to get angry and while Danny was glad of that, he didn't think that she would want everyone in the building to know.

Danny put his hand, gently, over her mouth and waited for her to calm. She moved his hand from her mouth said, "thank you" and then snatched the card from Danny's hand to read it again.

As Danny watched, she went into investigative mode. He loved watching her work, but this was bigger than either one of them. They needed to bring Mac into this. If this "P" was going to harm her, they needed Mac's support and expertise to curtail him.

"Lindsay. Honey. We need to go to Mac. He needs to know. This is more than we can handle."

Slowly looking up, Lindsay said, "Danny, I don't want to bring anyone else into this. Somehow this lunatic has targeted me and I will not hide from it. You know that if Mac finds out, then he will pull me from the case….or put me on lock-down….or something. I can't, no I won't live like that!"

"Linds, Mac will not lock you up, but he may lock me up if I don't tell him. You are an important member of this team, he's not going to stop you from working." Lindsay still didn't look convinced. "Okay. Let's look at it this way. If this happened to Stella, would you wanna help her or be kept in the dark?" Danny could see that this logic had gotten through to her so he stated, "I know that you have a hard time letting others help you, but let us in. We are here for you; we love you. This is not a time to go rogue and become silent. Dealing with this alone is not going to work."

"Why not? I have handled tougher things than a stalker, before" Lindsay said, but without much conviction behind it. She knew she was losing the battle.

"Mainly because I already know about it, and if you think that I am going to allow you to sweep it under the rug or deal with it alone, then you don't know me at all." Danny was becoming irritated with Lindsay at needing to have this discussion.

"Okay. I agree with you. I just hate having to make a big fuss about it. It's embarrassing." Lindsay looked down at her hands and the last few words were hardly audible.

Danny heard them anyway. He lifted her chin with one hand so that she was looking at him and said, "No one is going to blame you. This is not your fault, Montana. You get that, right?"

"I do. It's just….why me?"

"That's the question of the day. Let's go find Mac and work together to find out." Danny knew one thing for sure. He was not letting her out of his sight until this bastard was found.

* * *

><p>Mac looked up from his computer screen as he heard the knock at his office door. Danny and Lindsay stood there looking at him with an air of expectancy. Mac's intuition peaked and he instantly stood up. Something was wrong. Danny looked angry, and Lindsay looked, well, lost. Mac noticed that she was clutching a small pink card in her hand.<p>

"What's wrong?" was how Mac greeted them.

Instead of saying anything, Lindsay handed Mac the card. Mac took it and as he read it, his eyes grew round and his anxiety increased. Mac looked up and motioned for them to sit in the chairs across from his desk. Mac leaned against his desk and looked at his two detectives. Mac had known about their relationship for a few months now, but to him, it seemed as though something had stalled on that front. He would worry about that later. Right now, he needed to understand.

"Okay. What and where? I'm assuming that you don't know who, yet." Mac stated, looking right at Lindsay.

"Last night at a bar I was confronted by a man, I didn't know.." started Lindsay.

"Very aggressively, I might add," interjected Danny.

Both Mac and Lindsay looked toward Danny as one. He felt the need to apologize for interrupting, but before he could Lindsay continued, "He grabbed my wrist and wouldn't let it go. He was intent on buying me a drink. I continued to tell him no, but…." Lindsay stopped for a moment, as if to collect her thoughts. Then she went on," there was something…..unsettling about him. When he said my name, I was sure that he knew it before the announcer called it." Lindsay shook her head a little to clear it.

"You didn't tell me that he knew your name. I would have gone after him if I knew," said Danny.

"I asked him how he knew it and he said that the announcer had called me by name when it was my turn to sing. It was a plausible explanation" retorted Lindsay.

Mac interrupted before the they could get into a heated discussion, "But something in his nature, told you otherwise." He directed this statement to Lindsay.

"Yes. There was something about him. Mac, I can't explain it. Something was just off about the whole thing. I chalked it up to the fact that I had been drinking at first, but now….I don't know." Lindsay looked away from Mac, afraid that if she continued the eye contact with him, she would feel even more foolish. She knew that she has good intuition, why hadn't she followed it last night?

"Okay, so you said that you talked to this "P" and I'm assuming that you remember what he looks like." Mac paused as he waited for Lindsay to nod her head in agreement. Then he continues, "So we will set you up with a sketch artist and you can make a composite of "P". " Again he waited for Lindsay's acknowledgement.

Lindsay looked up and blurted, "Stella saw him too. She was the one who pointed him out to me."

Mac smiled and stated, " Anyone else see this guy?"

Danny replied before Lindsay could, "Me. And Flack, and possibly Adam."

Mac went to his phone and called the lab extension, he knew that Stella was working on a case that they had received that morning. "Stella. I need you in my office as soon as possible. This takes priority at the moment." Mac hung up the phone and smiled at Lindsay. "I hope that with all those eyes, we can get an accurate composite and then send out a BOLO and have this guy before the end of the day. We can make put on the pressure before he knows what's happening." Danny and Lindsay exchanged a glance with one another. Lindsay was very glad that she had listened to Danny and reported this to Mac.

Until his next words, "Lindsay, I'm assigning an officer to shadow you around the clock." Before Lindsay could say anything Mac put up his hand to silence her. "I know that you like your privacy and the officer doesn't have to live with you, he or she will be stationed around you or outside your house. Wherever you are, so too will they be. He or she will enter and check your apartment before you enter and will have constant contact so that you are safe. This is not an option Detective Monroe this is an order. Until this "P" character is found, you will not be left alone."

Lindsay sat back in her chair waiting for the anger to recede and mulled over what Mac had said.

"I would be more than happy to take that assignment, Mac." Danny said slowly, trying to gauge how Mac would take it.

Mac looked at Danny for what seemed to be minutes, and then slowly shook his head, "No, Danny that just won't work. With Lindsay confined to the Lab" Lindsay made a squeaking noise and appeared ready to leap to her feet in protest.

"Yes Lindsay, you will not be allowed out in the field while this lunatic is hunting you." He returned his attention to Danny to complete his thought, "Danny I will need you to pick up more of the field work, which means that you will be on-call until this issue is resolved. I can't have you leaving Lindsay in the middle of the night to assist in an investigation. I'm sorry, but this is final." With that Mac sat at his desk and waited for the oncoming onslaught from his two young detectives.

"Fine." Said Lindsay. Danny and Mac looked at her in disbelief. She met their stares and retorted, "I understand and respect your restraint Mac. You could have banned me to a safe house, but you know me better than that. I would have rebelled."

Mac's response to this was an inclination of his head and then he looked at Danny and said, "It doesn't mean that your relationship cannot continue outside of office hours. I only want extra protection until this guy is caught."

Both Lindsay and Danny looked at him in stunned silence and Mac smiled.

"Yes, I am aware of your relationship, whatever it may be now I don't know. I will not intercede on that while it is kept from the office. Is that understood?" Mac stated this with steel in his voice. Both Danny and Lindsay nodded their understanding.

There was a knock at the door, and Mac motioned for Stella to enter. They quickly explained the situation to her and after the shock and dismay, Stella's anger was peaked and she was ready for a fight. While Stella and Lindsay were sent to the Lab to work until the artist arrived, Danny was sent to find Flack and inform his friend of the situation. Danny was also on his way to the florist who delivered the flowers to see if they could get a lead that way. Mac had stopped Adam a little earlier and brought him into the conversation. Adam unfortunately didn't get a good look at the guy. He was willing to help run face recognition software after the sketch was made, on a long shot that there would be a match in the system.

* * *

><p>While everyone went about their business, P sat outside the police precinct waiting for Lindsay to come out. Surely, she would have those flowers with her. They were too nice, and expensive, for her to be anything but excited by them.<p>

P sat up on the bench, when he watched that interloped Danny walk out of the Lab, alone.

"Well, well, well. Where are you going alone, Detective Messer?" P's eyes tracked Danny until he got into an NYPD truck and drove away.

P thought that he would like to follow Danny, but that would mean that Lindsay was alone and he needed to be ready for her when the time presented itself. P got more comfortable on the bench as he continued to watch the door.

He would wait.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Danny! Hurry up or I'm leaving without you!" Lindsay yelled through the bathroom door.

Danny had returned from a crime scene smelling like the inside of refrigerator that had been unplugged for a few months. Lindsay had insisted that he take a shower or she was not going anywhere with him. So she waited in her living room for him to finish. Then they were going to the grocery store to stock Lindsay's cabinets. She wasn't going to be allowed out for a while and Lindsay wanted to stock up on essentials. She felt edgy and on her guard. She didn't like knowing that just outside there was a police officer watching her apartment.

Before she left the office for the day, Mac pulled Lindsay aside and introduced her to the two officers that would be her own personal police force. The first shift would be manned by Officer Sterling, a middle aged man with balding hair and a belly that resembled a five months pregnant woman. He seemed nice and regaled her with stories of his teenage boys. He was easy to like and Lindsay couldn't help herself.

The second shift was going to be manned by Officer Schwartz, a thirty something man with a head full of dark hair and a body that resembled Arnold Schwarzenegger in his early body building days. He kept more to himself and was less inclined to share his thoughts with Lindsay. Danny disliked him instantly.

"It's just not natural, the way he looks." Danny stated with a sneer of derision in his voice when he and Lindsay were discussing her detail later.

Lindsay chuckled, took his hand and said, "It's okay Cowboy, he's not my type."

Danny looked down at Lindsay and smirked, "Very funny Montana. I'm not jealous."

"Mmm Hmm" was Lindsay's only reply.

Lindsay chuckled as she thought over the conversation. The door to the bathroom opened and Danny stepped out with a cloud of steam rolling from the inner room.

"Did you leave any hot water in the building?" demanded Lindsay.

"What are ya talking about? I feel refreshed. Ready to go?" Danny said with an air of mischief.

Lindsay threw her hands into the air, as if the gods could save her. Danny chuckled and pulled Lindsay into an embrace.

"I know that you are wound up right now, but remember, I'm not the bad guy here. I come in peace." Danny said into Lindsay's hair. He could feel he slowly relaxing in his embrace.

"I know Danny. I really do, but this is horrible. I feel so trapped and it's only the first day! How am I going to make it if this lasts much longer?" Lindsay clung tighter to Danny and he returned the pressure.

"Hopefully, the name that I got from the florist will lead us right to this jerk. You never know, maybe this will be over before Officer Beefhead has to report for duty at 9:00 tonight. " Lindsay chuckled at his nickname for the Officer and Danny felt her tension melt away.

"You're right. I'm going to look at this optimistically. No longer will I let this get me down."

"Better, much better honey. Let's take it one step at a time, though." Danny sensed that she was putting on a false show and he wanted her to know that he knew.

Lindsay pulled away from Danny, looked up at him and said, "I am hungry Messer. Let's get to the store so that we can make a feast for tonight."

"A feast, huh? Sounds good to me. I'll make my mother's famous chicken carbonara. You'll love it! What are you making?" Danny nudged Lindsay in the side with his elbow as they walked into the foyer to gather their outerwear.

"I'm thinking tacos; with lots of cheese and salsa." Danny could hear Lindsay's stomach growl. He knew that she hadn't eaten lunch today. Stella told him before they left the Crime Lab.

"Sounds great. Our meal will be quite...eclectic." Danny laughed and dodged an ill aimed and half-assed punch toward his side.

Danny pulled open the front door as Lindsay picked up her purse from the foyer table. They walked over the threshold and Danny waited as Lindsay pulled out her keys to lock the deadbolt. After finishing, Danny led the way down the hallway and to the elevator. He hit the "down" button and they waited in silence for the elevator to reach Lindsay's third floor.

"I always forget how old this building is, the elevator takes forever to get here," said Danny.

"It's not old, it's got character" Lindsay stated. He should have known better, Lindsay loved this apartment building. She would defend it to her dying breath.

"Yeah, okay Montana." Danny replied as the elevator doors opened and they entered. Lindsay hit the "Lobby" button and the doors slowly closed. The ride down may take a while, thought Lindsay, but she loved the gilt gold reflection of herself that she got when looking into the doors. It felt so old Hollywood and elegant.

Once the elevator reached its destination, they waited as the doors slowly opened to allow them to exit. As they walked out, a man, attempting to enter, knocked into Danny.

"Sorry, dude. Didn't mean to," the stranger said. Danny looked him up and down and then smiled.

"No problem man. No harm, no foul," Danny replied. The man smiled and entered the elevator. Danny and Lindsay turned toward the front door of the building. They had only gone a few steps when Danny abruptly stopped.

"Did you recognize that man? The one who bumped into me?" he asked Lindsay.

"No", she shook her head and pursed her lips. "Come to think of it, I've never seen him before."

"I should ask Officer Sterling if he ID'd the man." Danny said.

"Why? Danny you can't ask the officers to ID every person that enters this building. There are several people that I'm sure I've never met. This is a big building." Lindsay stated with controlled calm. "That man didn't even fit the description of "P". He was well built, blond, and didn't have any glasses. The opposite of ordinary."

"Really. You got all that from seeing him for a moment?" Danny said slightly irritated.

Lindsay giggled, "Danny, I am a detective. It's my job to notice things. Remember?"

"Yeah, but…"

"No. I am good at noticing things and I question things as well, that's what makes me a good cop. I discredited him as the suspect when I saw him. Besides, he didn't give me the creep factor." Lindsay said as she continued to walk toward the door. Danny quickly followed suit.

"Remind me to never leave you alone with another guy, alright." Danny said.

As they walked out of the building, Officer Sterling materialized out of his cruiser and walked to the curb. "Where are we going tonight, Detective Monroe?" he asked jovially.

"Hello again Officer Sterling.." Lindsay started.

"Nick, I asked you to call me Nick. I can't have you constantly calling me "Officer Sterling". It would wear both of us out." Officer Sterling cut off Lindsay by saying.

Lindsay smiled warmly, "Of course, Nick and you must call me Lindsay."

"Deal. Now where are we off too?

Danny replied with, "The market about four blocks west." He wasn't really jealous of this guy, was he? Danny shook his head to clear it and Lindsay caught his eye and looked at him quizzically. "Nothing." He told her before she could ask what was wrong.

Lindsay shrugged her shoulders and continued with the conversation that she and Nick were having about tomorrow's forecasted snowfall.

* * *

><p>That was too easy. P chuckled to himself as the elevator stopped on Lindsay's floor. No one had stopped him on his way into the building. He was afraid for a moment that he would be stopped and asked for his ID. He had one ready for just that occasion. No one did and P thought for a moment that he was wrong about her new security detail. The old guy in the cruiser outside would be easy to dispatch when the time came. He posed no real obstacle.<p>

He was mostly worried about that damn Danny figuring him out. He had seen the five o'clock news earlier that evening and had seen the police sketch of a "person of interest" that resembled him from last night. He had removed the black wig and glasses. He also removed the extra padding that he had worn under his clothes last night. Today, he wore more form fitting jeans and a tighter sweater with a black leather jacket. People always saw what they wanted to see. Last night he dressed as a loser and expected that was how people saw him. Today, he dressed as though he fit in. No one questioned that either. He felt powerful. This would work. He would get his Lindsay.

P walked along the hallway until her reached the apartment number written on the piece of paper that he had been given. He stopped at 3F and knew that his Lindsay lived behind those walls. He quickly surveyed the area and found that 100 feet down the hall was a door that led to the emergency stairs. This just kept getting better. With a smile on his face, he turned back to the door and quickly went to work.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Danny and Lindsay returned from the store with arms full of bags. Their laughter continued as they said good night to Nick and waited while Officer Schwartz entered the apartment to check.

"All clear," he announced as he returned to the front door. "You two have a good night. Let me know if you need anything."

Danny and Lindsay entered the apartment and Lindsay turned to the officer. "Thanks a lot Officer Schwartz. Please, call me Lindsay. "

"No, I don't think that calling you by your first name is appropriate. I also would prefer that you call me Officer Schwartz. I noticed that you were calling Officer Sterling, Nick."

"Oh. Okay, no problem. Would you like some food after it is ready? We will definitely have plenty." Lindsay said with a smile. She could feel Danny's eyes boring into her back. She refused to look his way.

"Umm, No ma'am. I have my own food. I have a strict diet that I have to follow and I really can't stray from it for your…..food." He sated before he turned on his heel and walked toward the elevator.

Lindsay stood staring at the spot where Officer Schwartz was standing at the elevator. She was torn between laughter and anger. Slowly, she shut the door and turned around to meet Danny's eyes. They were filled with mirth as he attempted to contain his laughter.

"Nope. Not a word." Lindsay said as she pushed past him to put the groceries down on the coffee nook.

Danny was smart enough to take the advice and kept his thoughts to himself. Though, he would make sure that Flack heard all about how Officer Meathead had insulted Lindsay twice, in less than a minute. If he didn't think that she could handle herself, he would have stepped in to demand that she get an apology. He knew, however, that she wouldn't have appreciated it after the insults that she had just endured.

As Lindsay attempted to calm down, they cooked their dinner in silence. Danny knew that there was a Giants game on, but didn't think that it would be smart for him to ask Lindsay to turn it on. He quietly cooked while she did the same, for about twenty minutes.

Finally, Danny had had enough. "Linds, he was a jerk. There is no need to let him ruin our night. Can we forget it and have a good night? Please." Danny waited for her response.

Lindsay stopped stirring her taco meat and turned away from the stove. She looked at him a moment before walking toward him. She put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "You're right. He doesn't matter. I was just hurt that he thinks so little of me." She shrugged as she said the last.

"Well, he doesn't deserve to either. You, Ms. Monroe, are simply amazing. He's an idiot and you're right, doesn't matter. As long as he keeps you safe, then who cares about Meathead?" Danny said with a smile.

"Meathead? I thought you called him Beefcake." Lindsay replied.

"Meathead. Beefcake. Pretty much the same thing. Still makes him an idiot."

Lindsay laughed and Danny's heart leapt with the knowledge that he had helped her smile. Lindsay dislodged from his embrace and returned to the stove.

"Hey, isn't there a Giants game on? Why don't you turn on the t.v. and find it. We can eat on the couch and watch the game. I'll get everything plated and bring it to you." Lindsay said.

Danny smiled as he said, "Oh, yeah. The game is on. I had completely forgotten about it. Are you sure you don't need more help?"

"No, Danny. I've got this. Go turn on the game" Came the reply.

"Thanks babe." Danny turned and walked to the television to find the game. He sat on the couch and relished the fact that he was back in her life. All was definitely right in his world tonight.

* * *

><p>Three days later, Lindsay was done. Done with the security detail. Done with not being allowed to work out in the field. Done with Danny's hovering. She was fed up and ready for a fight. The tension and anxiety that she was feeling were becoming much harder to ignore and pretend weren't there. The next time that someone said "How are you holding up?" she was going to lose it.<p>

Part of her realized that this was counterproductive and everyone meant well, but she was tired of it. To top it off, Nick was sick and so Officer Schwartz was still working as her protection this morning. He had said that a replacement was being sent later in the afternoon.

But, she was mostly done with the fact that they had not heard from P since he sent the flowers. She was becoming dulled to the original fear and thought that maybe it was over. They were unsuccessful with the lead from the flower shop. The information came back to a prepaid credit card and the lead was dead. Frustration laced the entire investigation.

Lindsay had unsuccessfully petitioned Mac to allow the detail to slacken.

"Mac no one has heard from him. Maybe we overreacted to the flowers." Lindsay had said.

To his credit, he hadn't spoken right away. Mac had silently looked up from his desk when Lindsay walked into his office and launched into the conversation. "No." was all he said.

"I know that you want to protect me, but maybe this is overkill. He may have been messing with me because I turned him down." Lindsay pleaded.

"No."

"Can you give me an answer other than, 'No'?" Lindsay spat.

Mac looked down at his hands, then capped the pen he was using and slowly put it onto the desk. When he was done with this, he looked back up to Lindsay. Silently, he motioned for her to take the chair directly across from him. Lindsay was hesitant and now became worried that she had offended her boss. No, that was not right. Mac was closer to a second father to her than just her boss. She never wanted to disappoint him. She was afraid that she just had.

After Lindsay sat, Mac started to talk, "I know that you are frustrated." He held up his hand as he sensed Lindsay was going to interrupt him. "I also understand that you hate having a security detail and feel that it is unnecessary. However, I think that we need to remain cautious. I would not be opposed to reducing the amount of time that they need to sit around the office while you work, however." Mac was inwardly irritated with watching the officers sit across the lab from Lindsay while she worked. He was tired of walking into them and feeling like they were watching him and his team. He was not going to tell this to Lindsay, though.

"I also know that until this guy is caught, you are not safe. We just don't have all the information yet." Mac then looked down and sighed heavily. "I should tell you that the higher ups have told me that if there is no development in the next five days, they will be removing Officers Sterling and Schwartz. Their captains are frustrated with their absences and are short staffed right now." He looked back at Lindsay. "I do not agree, but I don't have the final say in this. I ask for your patience and understanding. We have five more days to resolve this. Let's hope that that happens. I do not want to think of the alternative." Mac stopped talking and waited patiently for Lindsay to absorb all the information and form a response.

"Thank you Mac for everything that you have and continue to do. I AM frustrated and irritated. I hate this more than I can express. I will try to be patient and wait. I am hopeful that in five days, nothing will have happened and I can go on with my life." Lindsay keep eye contact with Mac the entire time that she spoke. She hoped that he knew she was sincere.

"I think that you should take the rest of the day off. You are stretched to your limit right now and that is not conducive to good lab work." Mac smiled when he said this. He knew this would get a rise out of Lindsay. He was surprised and more worried about her when her only reply was, "okay". This was not what he had expected. He now knew that he was doing the right thing by sending her home.

"We'll see you in tomorrow morning. Please, relax and try to forget about this for a while." Mac said.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks again." With this Lindsay stood and exited his office. Mac watched her walk down the hallway toward her office; concern lining his face.

* * *

><p>P watched as Lindsay left the crime lab with that over-sized idiot officer trailing behind. He smiled. He hadn't planned on the next stage of his plan happening so soon, but when opportunity called who was he to punch it in the face. Today, she would be his. P had to hurry before anyone else knew.<p>

He would have to send the package before he left the area. That shouldn't be too difficult; couriers are easy to find in New York. He stood and started walking, whistling. This was a going to be a great day.

* * *

><p>Danny returned to the lab and went in search of Lindsay. He had just landed a gruesome case and wanted to forget about it for a bit. He was also worried about her. She had seemed more on edge that morning, snapping at almost everything that was said to her. He had attempted to call her as he was driving to his crime scene, but it went to voice mail. That was not unusual as she typically forgot to take her phone with her into the lab.<p>

As Danny stepped off the elevator, he started his search for her in the lab. She wasn't there and so he went to their shared office. He struck out there as well. That was when he noticed that Meathead wasn't sitting around doing nothing. His heart beat quickened and he went in search of Mac.

Knocking on Mac's office door, he heard, "Come in."

Danny opened the door a bit and stuck his head in. "Hey Mac, do you know where Lindsay is? I tried to call her about two hours ago, but got no reply."

Mac pursed his lips and said, "I sent her home about three hours ago. Before you ask, she wasn't sick and is not in trouble. She's on edge and needed some time off. I'm not sure why she didn't respond. Maybe she has her phone turned off or maybe she is avoiding people right now. This has been very hard on her. Give her some time. She'll be fine."

"Okay, I'll wait to hear from her." Danny said as he nodded his head. The feeling of unease continued and his mind was racing.

Danny returned to his office in time to see an officer put a package on his desk. The officer turned just as Danny entered the room.

"Oh, Detective Messer, this was just delivered for you at the front door." He said.

"Thanks" was Danny's only reply.

Danny sat down in his chair and ran his hands through his hair. He then scrubbed his face with his hands and closed his eyes. Something wasn't right. He thought that he and Lindsay were doing well. Why didn't she answer the phone? He wanted to call her, but resisted because of Mac's advice.

When Danny opened his eyes, they fell upon the package. Danny picked it up and slowly broke the seal on the envelope. What he saw made his blood run cold.

Inside the package was a framed picture. The picture was one of Danny and Lindsay. He remembered when it was taken; they had had a passerby take it for them when they had just started dating. It was their third date and they had gone to the zoo. In it, Danny has his arms around Lindsay while facing the camera, but Lindsay is looking at him smiling. She loved that picture. There were two changes that had been made to the picture, though. There was a large red X through Danny's face and Lindsay's face was circled with the same red pen spelling out "She's mine now" underneath. The other thing that Danny realized was that he recognized the picture frame. He had given it to Lindsay as a late birthday gift. P had been in Lindsay's house.

Danny clutched the picture as he dialed Lindsay's number with his other hand, all while sprinting to Mac's office.

"Come on Lindsay, pick up. Pick up!"

Mac looked at his door as Danny burst through it. Before he could say anything, Danny all but threw a picture frame to him. Mac looked up at Danny, alarm etched in his face.

"She's not answering her phone, Mac"

Mac picked up his desk phone and punched in a number. "Officer Schwartz, is Lindsay okay?"

Danny couldn't hear what the answer was, but he could read Mac's body language and he was irritated.

"No. We have reason to believe that she is in danger. Please go to her apartment and check on her." There was a pause and then, "We have tried to call her. She is not answering her phone." Another pause. "No, I will wait on the line with you as you physically go and check on her. That way we will find out together. Do I make myself clear?"

The silence in the room was oppressing. Mac did not take his eyes off of Danny while they both waited. Suddenly, the color drained from Mac's face and Danny knew. He knew that things had just changed in the worst way possible.

"Do not touch anything, is that understood? I am on my way. Do not let anyone enter the apartment until I get there. Do you think that you can at least handle that Officer? " Pause. "Good." Mac slammed his receiver to the cradle. Then he said the words that Danny was dreading to hear.

"Lindsay is gone."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Gone. She's de….." Danny stumbled to a nearby chair, unable to complete the sentence.

Realization dawned on Mac, and he quickly stated, "No, Danny. She's not dead. She's missing." Mac took a steadying breath. "Officer Schwartz said that her door was slightly ajar when he approached. When he entered, he said it looked as if a tornado had hit. He checked every room, but she wasn't there." Mac struggled to get out the last few words. He looked at Danny and said. "We will get her back. First things first, we need our team and we need to get to Lindsay's place. Do you think that you can do this?" Mac asked gently.

"Don't ask me to recuse myself from this case Mac. Not now." Danny pleaded.

Mac slowly nodded, "Okay. If I feel that you could jeopardize the case in any way, you WILL be reassigned. Is that clear?" Danny nodded.

"Good. Now let's get our team together and get Lindsay back. We need to go to her apartment. We need to process the scene."

* * *

><p>The ride up the elevator was suffocating. Danny couldn't get his breath and struggled to focus on what Mac was telling the team about assignments for them once they entered the apartment.<p>

She was gone. She was missing. He had her. These phrases played in repeat in his mind.

The elevator doors finally opened and one by one they all filed out. Danny was the third one out, but her had somehow gained the lead in the line that walked down the hallway. As he reached her door, it opened and Meathead walked out.

Before Danny knew what had happened, he had Meathead by the throat up against the wall. "You were supposed to protect her. What the hell happened?" Danny yelled in his face. Danny could feel hands on his back and arms, trying to pry his hands from the man's neck. He could hear, distantly, others calling his name.

Finally, hands successfully pried Danny's hands away from the other officer's neck. Danny turned to look into Flack's eyes. Danny did not put up a fight. Flack did not lessen his hold on Danny's right arm, however.

"What the hell was that for? I want him brought up on charges for what he just did. Hey. HEY! Isn't anyone listening to me? I'm the victim here." Said Officer Schwartz as he looked around the hall at the group of CSI's.

Mac was the first and only one to answer, "I'm not sure what you're talking about officer. We are here to investigate out colleague's disappearance. We will have to talk with you about the events of this afternoon, so stay put." Mac dismissed the officer without another word. "Stella, you and Hawkes will enter the scene first. I will be in soon. Flack, I would like for you to question Officer Schwartz, here. Danny, I want you to look at all possible entry and exits for this floor. I want to know how he got her out of here. Lindsay would have put up one hell of a fight. I want to understand how Officer Schwartz missed her abduction."

"I want to go inside. I have to see, I need to know." Danny pleaded.

"No. If you are going to remain on this case, I want you to do as I asked. Knowing how and when, will help us identify that piece. It's just as important. You know this place better than anyone else here. You know what to look for. You might, might get to see it later. For now, let us do this." Mac stated this with steel in his voice. He meant business. "We love her too." He added.

Danny nodded and set off down the hall, albeit reluctantly. Mac watched until he was certain that Danny would follow his orders, then he turned and walked to Lindsay's door. He looked through the open doorway and his heart shattered. Before he could enter though, he heard the officer giving Flack a hard time.

"This is totally unfair. I was assaulted and you people act as though it didn't happen. You can be sure that I will be reporting this incident to my superiors. It's not my fault your friend is gone. Maybe she left on her own. She got herself into this situation to begin with." It was too much for Mac. He marched the ten feet to where they were standing and grabbed the man's arm. Yanking it to start moving, Mac all but drug the officer to the doorway.

"Tell me, Officer, what do you see?" Mac waited, not releasing his vice-like grip of the man's forearm.

"Come on, you can see as well as I can."

"Tell me, Officer, and I do use that term very loosely, what do you see?"

"The hall rack is knocked over right here." He stated and then stopped.

Mac was quickly loosing patience and pulled the officer further into the apartment, "what else?"

"The recliner is knocked over in the living room, the coffee table has been smashed, there is glass on the carpet and sofa. " He stopped again, swallowing hard.

"Is glass the only thing that is on the ground?"

"Oh, come on. You know…" Mac sent him a glare that stated he would broker no more arguments from this man, so the officer continued, "blood. A lot of blood. That is what is on the floor." Mac forcefully threw Officer Schwartz's arm away from his hand.

"Yes, Officer, blood. So when you said to Detective Flack that you thought Lindsay had simply walked out of here, it pissed me off. " Both Flack and the officer looked at Mac, shocked. Mac continued, however, "Go outside and wait for the other officers to arrive to secure the scene. Make no mistake I will be talking with your superiors! Get out of my sight." Mac turned and walked away, not even waiting to see if the officer complied. Officer Schwartz looked like he was going to say something, but Flack interrupted that thought by escorting the officer back out the door to get the rest of his statement.

* * *

><p>Danny slowly descended the stairs in a fog. He had wanted to fight with Mac, demand that he be allowed into the apartment. He knew it better than anyone, he would know if anything was missing. He stopped with his foot hovering over the next step. Something was missing, Lindsay. He wanted to punch something, Meathead was the likely target, but he knew that someone would stop him. Danny looked down at the floor, that's when he saw it. To the right of where he was going to put his foot, was a small droplet of what appeared to be blood.<p>

Danny pulled a marker out of his kit and took another step down, eyes peeled. Two more steps down and there was another droplet. Another marker went down here too. He continued to descend, cautiously so that he didn't miss anything. By the time that he reached the bottom, he had marked eleven steps and one smudge on the wall. He prayed that it wasn't Lindsay's blood, that somehow she had hurt her attacker and they would have his DNA now. Danny decided that he should follow the trail out to the parking garage. He depressed the bar and pushed the door open, walking into the chilly garage.

* * *

><p>Mac walked quietly through the apartment, making sure that he didn't tread where the blood was. He hated wearing the sterile booties, but he knew that they would leave trace evidence if he didn't. He came upon Stella in the kitchen. She turned as he walked in and there were unshed tears in her eyes.<p>

"I know, not a very hardened officer type thing to do. Cry. I can't help it. This is horrible. Poor Lindsay." She said.

Mac nodded, "What do you have?"

Stella nodded once and sniffled, "It looks like he interrupted her cooking lunch. The oven was on when we got here, the door hanging half open. Almost like he came through the door just as she opened it. The cookie sheet with her lunch is on the ground here." She pointed to the spot a few feet away where the cookie sheet lay upside down on the floor.

"It looks like she put up one heck of a fight." Stella said as she looked over the coffee nook into the living room, her eyes focused on the large bloodstain on the floor. As Mac walked through the scene, he noticed that there was blood splatter on the walls, floor, and even ceiling in a few places. He didn't want to think of what shape Lindsay's body was in. He had to remain as detached as possible or he wouldn't make it through this.

"This is bad, Mac." Stella said. Before Mac to respond, Hawkes came in from the other room.

"The other rooms seem to be untouched, but I don't know if anything is missing or out of place." He said. "Maybe Danny could inspect the apartment to help with that."

"Right now, I have Danny doing what he needs to be doing. He's not ready to see this yet. I don't think that the combined strength of all of us could keep him from killing that officer out there." Mac said. "I agree that he should walk through and check, but right now it would be counter-productive. He's only hanging on to his sanity by a thread. Are you done taking pictures, Hawkes?"

"Yep, just took the last ones. I also did a walk through with the hand-held so that we have video if we need it." Hawkes reported.

"Good thinking. I have a feeling that we are going to need everything in our arsenal to get her back." Mac stopped as Flack donned his booties and entered the room again.

"He didn't know anything, didn't see anything, and wants his union rep contacted." Flack said with derision.

"Of course he does. " Mac said, then he turned to Hawkes, "would you go see if you can find Danny and help him with the possible entry and exits from the building. He'll need pictures of anything he finds as well. Don't leave his side and don't tell him about this yet," Mac pointed to the blood and broken furniture.

"Sure thing. Any idea where he went?"

"I saw him go to the stairs down the hall, I presume that he's still there investigating." Mac said.

"Okay, I'll let you know if we find anything." Hawkes said and then walked toward the door, vanishing from sight as he quickly turned to the left into the hallway.

"I want it all brought back to the lab. The table, the glass, the carpet where there is blood. I want this to be thorough. Somewhere in this apartment is the only lead that we will have. Flack , I would like for another BOLO on the picture of this guy. There's something wrong here. No one came forward with a possible lead on it the first time that it was run. Something's off, we need to find out what. " Mac was frustrated. He was worried and he was angry. This happened on his watch, to one of his team, and he felt guilty.

Flack said, "I can organize the BOLO again, Lindsay is one of our own. If nothing else, that will spur the officers on to find this creep."

Mac didn't want to say anything, but he feared that no matter how much fire was lit under their butts, they had to hope that the perp had made a mistake. Lindsay's life depended on it.

* * *

><p>Danny looked up as Hawkes walked through the doorway leading to the garage.<p>

"Hey man, Mac wanted me to help you. He thought that you might want to have photographs taken for any evidence that you find." Hawkes said as he approached Danny. He looked like hell, Hawkes thought. Danny's eyes were rimmed with red and he was slumped over like he didn't have enough strength to hold himself upright.

"Thanks Hawkes. All's I've found so far is the blood in the stairwell. I've marked them all, but didn't have a camera with me. How does it look upstairs? Could she have simply slipped her detail and be sitting somewhere drinking coffee oblivious to what is happening here?" Danny asked hopefully.

All hope was lost when Hawkes shook his head and said, "No man, that's not possible." Hawkes didn't want to say too much, heeding Mac's prior request that Danny not know how bad it looks.

Danny took a deep breath and said, "You're not going to tell me about it, are you? How bad it is. You're not going to say." Danny looked into Hawkes' eyes as he said this.

"No. I'm not," was the reply.

"Mac?"

"Yep. Look Danny, to be honest this is the best place for you. We don't have anything on this guy. We need a lead. We will either get it from the apartment of the escape route. If you said that there is blood on the stairs, then this is the most logical escape route. Let's see if we can help get Lindsay back."

Danny had looked away from Hawkes while he was speaking and had gone silent. Danny was just about to say something, when he noticed a few blood splatters about ten feet away. Danny became excited, because right next to the blood, was a set of tire tracks that looked to have been driven over a small puddle of blood about twenty feet from there. Danny took off at a run, Hawkes at his heels.

"Hawkes, take a picture of that. I want high resolution shots and they need to be clear and clear. This may be our lead." Danny said, his earlier weariness leaving him.

"You got it!" Hawkes said, excitement lacing his tone.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, the entire crew had returned to the lab and converged on Mac's office for the first official discussion of the case. Danny was excited about the tire marks and was eager to return to the lab so that he could learn as much as he could. If Mac was going to keep aspects away from him, he was going to be damn sure that he was pulling his weight on what he was allowed to work on. He had to be on this case and didn't want to give Mac any reasons to pull him from it.<p>

Just as Mac was beginning to brief the team on what was found in the apartment, Adam came dashing into the office. His face was white and he looked scared, or shocked. Danny couldn't tell which one.

"Adam, what's wrong?" Came Mac's voice after Adam burst into the room.

"It's Lindsay." Adam reported.

"Yes, I know this is hard because she is one of our own, but…" Mac started patiently.

Adam interrupted Mac, "NO! It's Lindsay. On my computer. I'm not sure how, but someone is streaming a live feed."

Silence followed this announcement, Stella recovered first, "Show me," was all she said.

Adam turned on a dime and jogged from the room, Stella following first, then Danny, Mac, Flack, and Hawkes. No one said a thing as they hurried down the hall to Adam's office.

He sat down behind his desk, with the others squeezing in behind. They all stared, silently because, there on the screen was Lindsay. She was being suspended from the ceiling by manacles clasped to her wrists and rope that ascended out of camera shot. The left side of her face appeared to have dried blood covering it and bruises had appeared across her left cheekbone. She was not conscious.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Lindsay's head hurt. So did her shoulders and wrists. As she slowly came back to consciousness, she started to feel other pains; in her stomach, her legs, and her back. She refused to open her eyes, they were too heavy. She fought sleep with what little energy she had. "Why am I so tired?" she thought. Bits and pieces were coming back to her. Everything was disjointed, her memories didn't make sense.

The door of her apartment bursting open….. The cookie sheet falling from her hand because she was startled… Trying to jump over the coffee nook and landing roughly onto the floor beyond… Almost making it to the front door, but hands grabbing her from behind…..She kicked out, but was thrown through the air….. Landing on the glass table…..Glass shattering…. Then nothing for a while, until lying on a cold concrete floor and smelling gas fumes, she had tried to crawl away, but something hit her from behind. Confusion. So much confusion.

"Good morning Little Lindsay. Welcome to your new home. I hope that you will be happy here," said a man in the room.

Lindsay did not respond, hoping that she could get her thoughts together before she needed to match wits with this person.

"Oh, come now. I know that you are awake. You are moving and making noises. Don't try to play games with me, Little Lindsay. Things will go so much better for us if you acknowledge me when I speak to you."

Lindsay slowly opened her eyes. The effort was painful and she realized that her left eyelid was not complying, "it must be too swollen," she thought.

Lindsay's eyes rolled around the room trying to take it in. Everything was dark, there was a lone light bulb hanging in the far corner above a small table and metal was a twin metal bed frame in another corner, a thin mattress covering it. The room was small, no larger than that of her kitchen at home. She had purposely not looked toward the door of the room, where she sensed the man was. She was scared, as if by seeing him she would finally have to accept that she was not safe and that this was not a dream.

"Look at me now, Little Lindsay! I have been patient enough," the man said, angrily.

Lindsay steeled herself to see the man from the bar, what seemed like so many nights ago. She turned her head to look toward the door of the room. What she saw astonished her. This was not the man from the bar, but the man that Danny had questioned her about in her apartment building. Lindsay's already over-run brain was flooded with a million questions and her heart was racing wildly.

"Remember me now, Little Lindsay?" he smiled while asking her the question.

"How? You looked so different that night." Lindsay's throat hurt and she had to focus to make the words sound right. She added jaw pain to her mental list of injuries.

The man laughed heartily, "I know, it is wonderful, isn't it?" Lindsay watched as he started to walk toward her, then looked toward the opposite wall to where she was tied up, and seemed to think better of it, returning to his previous position just inside the doorway.

"I think this version of myself, is the better one. Don't you?" He paused and waited for an answer. "I said, don't you? Answer me!"

"Why me? What do you want with me?" Lindsay asked instead.

The man's eyes narrowed at the dodged question, but answered anyway, "You were a promise from a friend. When I saw you, I knew that I wanted you." He looked directly at her as he spoke, "So I took you."

"Who? Who has a right to promise one person to another?" Lindsay asked heatedly.

"Oh no. This is about us now. We are going to be happy together. After time, you will come to trust me and want me just as I want you." He said this with a gleam of pleasure in his voice.

Lindsay tried to shake her head, but pain lanced through her, so she settled with looking directly into his eyes and saying, "No. That will not happen. How can you possibly believe that this would work?"

The man became angry again, "It will work! You will be happy here with me! This is your only option!" he nearly exploded. Then, after a few breaths he said, "You'll see. After a few months, we will be happy together and you will not want to leave. You will love me then." This seemed to calm the man as he was then able to smile as he wistfully thought of the future that Lindsay swore would never happen.

How far should she push him? She was very conscious of the pain in her shoulders and wrists. Her arms were fully extended above her head, and her feet were barely touching the ground. The pain was excruciating. She carefully said, "Do you think that you could release my arms to my sides, they are very painful and….."

The man looked back toward Lindsay, irritated that she had interrupted her daydream. "No. You will try to leave," he said curtly.

"No, I won't try to leave. You could just lower them to my sides, but keep me tied up. That would be a good compromise, wouldn't it?" she pleaded.

Waiting with baited breath, she could she the sides of him warring within him. Part of him wanted to comply, while the other was adamant against it. Finally, he said, "Fine. But the first time that you try to run, you will be sorry. I'm being nice to you now. Don't make things…..difficult for yourself."

He stepped into the hallway without another word and Lindsay thought he was going to leave without releasing her, but then she could feel her arms being lowered. The pain was beyond belief as her arms were lowered and blood rushed back into them after being held aloft for so long. He was wrong, she couldn't move or feel her arms right now, there was no way that she could attempt to fight her way out. She needed to think of something; another way out.

He came back into the room then. Smiling slightly as he watched Lindsay and saw the pain that she was feeling. "There. Better? Oh, it must hurt, huh? Now I have done something for you what do you say?"

"Thank you," Lindsay stated reluctantly, not really sure what he wanted to hear.

"Good, Little Lindsay. See, we will get along well. I have a few errands to run, I'll be back soon. Try to rest. We'll talk again real soon," with this proclamation, he turned on his heel and left the room, firmly shutting and locking the door behind him.

He had given Lindsay enough rope to be able to sit onto the floor without much difficulty. She did so, feeling all the hurts and injuries to her body as she did. Only after she heard a distant door shut did she release her hold on her emotions. She pulled her knees into her chest and released all the tears that she had held in. She was not going to let him see that he affected her. She must be strong. She had to hold it together until Danny found her. She was certain that he would. He would search the Earth looking for her, she was sure of it. All she had to do was wait. Her tears turned into gut-wrenching sobs as she thought of the position that she was in now.

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to her, on the wall directly in front of her, inside a small hole hidden in the darkness, there was a video camera. On the other side of the feed, her team watched as she sobbed.<p>

In fact, they had seen the entire exchange. Their resolve to find her was strengthened. Then suddenly, the feed went black. They could no longer see Lindsay.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The room was silent as everyone digested what they had just witnessed. They had been watching for hours. All that had changed was that they could tell when the door to the room had opened about an hour ago. There was a slight shadow that was cast from the hallway light. All they could see was a basic silhouette of the man. Danny felt sick to his stomach. Lindsay, his Lindsay needed him. She was hurt and scared. There was nothing that he could do. He felt useless.

He was delving into a pit of self-loathing when Mac spoke, "Okay. So we have a little more information than we had before." He swallowed and appeared to be struggling to keep it together.

After taking a deep breaths he continued, "Let's recap what we know. Stella.

Stella looked startled to hear her name, as if she was lost in thought and had not heard what Mac had said. After a moment, she said, "Well, he looks different. But, we don't know how..." Stella trailed off and then stopped talking, lost in her own thoughts again.

Mac realized that Stella was done and then said, "Right. So we need to stop circulating that sketch it will only lead to misinformation. Hawkes, what did you notice?"

Hawkes looked drawn and scared, "Lindsay is hurt. I couldn't tell how badly, but she looked to have several lacerations to her face. Her hands and arms were bothering her also. I think that she was unable to use her arms that well after he released them. It was hard to tell how badly the rest of her was hurt. Her eyesight was impaired as the left one was swollen shut. All of this and the stuff I couldn't see, will make if very difficult for her to escape on her own." When he was finished he looked down at the floor, as if he didn't want to admit that what he said was true.

"Thanks, that's pretty close to what I thought. Flack, what about you?"

Flack cleared his throat before he looked swiftly to Danny, then looked at Mac, "Someone else is involved."

Mac waited to see if he was going to complete the thought, but when he didn't Mac said, "I heard that too. He is under the impression that she was a prize or a present given to him by another person. Since I am sure that no one in her life would sell her or give her away, I have to believe that this is either a delusional man, or someone, that we are unaware of, is out there and wants to hurt her…."

Danny interrupted, "Wants to hurt her? Hell yeah they want to hurt her. Did you see her Mac? That bastard has already hurt her. I don't think that Ill ever get the sound of her sobs out of my mind. Adam, why can't we track this SOB? Why did we lose the feed? Where is she? How do we get to her when he is in control and we look like chumps? How can we save her if….." Danny choked up and Mac walked around the table to put his hand on Danny's shoulder, effectively stopping him.

"Danny, we are going to work this out. There will be no other case that we work on until she is found. This is not Adam's fault. He's doesn't deserve the brunt of your anger. Trust me, we are all angry."

"Sorry Adam. I'm just….." Danny started.

"Angry, scared, frustrated? Yeah me too." Adam said.

"Danny does bring up an interesting topic. Why is this guy sending us a feed? He doesn't have too. He has everything in his advantage. There is no reason to share this. We now have more information than we had before. You would think that he would try to keep his advantage. I don't get it," said Hawkes.

"He wants to gloat. 'Look at me. I have the girl and you can't get her back.' That is what he is saying. I hope to God that he continues the feed so that we can monitor both Lindsay and the guy," said Flack.

"I noticed that he didn't step into the room, in view of the camera. He's not dumb enough to give us an image of himself. But, Lindsay could," said Stella.

Mac shook his head, "No. I don't think that she knows she's on camera. If she knew about the camera, she would be saying as much as possible to help us find her."

"If only there was a way for her to know. Maybe she wouldn't feel so alone and could help us," said Hawkes.

Danny had been silent and Mac was becoming concerned, he didn't seem to be following the conversation very closely. Mac had expected that Danny would fly off the handle and already be out searching alone.

"Danny, what are you thinking?" Mac asked.

"She knew the guy. I don't think very well, but she definitely recognized him." Danny said quietly.

"What makes you think so?" Mac asked. All eyes were on Danny. They, like Mac had expected an explosion of emotion. This Danny unnerved them.

"The way that she reacted when she finally looked at him. She didn't say that she knew him, it's just something that I felt. She may not know him personally, but I know that she recognized him." Danny finished with more steel in his voice.

"Hmm. That is a very good theory. We're going to go with it. We need to comb through everyone in the lab. I don't want to think that it is anyone here, but we have to rule everyone out. If it's someone here, then she may have recognized them from the building." Mac stated thoughtfully.

"The apartment building." Stella said, "We need to also go through the people who live in her apartment building. She may have recognized him from there."

"Good idea. Let's get started there. It may not be a lot, but at least we have a plan to follow," Mac said. ""So far this guy has been a step ahead of up. That is going to change."

"I'll get some uniforms over to the building, but I want to be the lead on that point. Anyone have an objection to that?" Flack asked the room at large.

"I'd like to help with that also," said Hawkes, "any objections to that?" When no objections came, he nodded his head once and left the room, motioning to Flack as he went.

Stella spoke next," Mac I would like to start weeding out our own people here. The sooner they are cleared, the better I will feel."

"That's fine with me. Adam, I want you to continue to work with the computer feed. Try to find out anything that you can. I want to know how this guy can use different addresses that are pinging around the world, not giving their home location." Mac ordered.

Mac then looked at Danny. He looked as if he had been run over by a Mac Truck. Mac knew that while everyone else had fallen asleep in their various offices, Danny had stayed awake all night watching Lindsay on the monitor.

"Danny, why don't you head home to get some sleep."

Danny instantly started to shake his head. "No. Nope. Not going to happen Mac. I won't leave while she's out there."

"Danny you look like you are barely standing on your feet. How are you going to be a help to Lindsay if she needs you, when you are about to fall asleep, let us do this right now. We need you to be fully awake and ready to go when any information or lead comes in." Mac placated, "I promise that when I learn anything, you are my first phone call. Go home. That is an order. I want you to sleep and report back at 6 tonight if I haven't called you before that."

"Mac, I don't want to leave her. I need to be here in case I can…oh I don't know. I was supposed to protect her. Look how well that went. Now, I have to watch this maniac psychologically beat her down. Not to mention the amount of blood that I saw on her. I cannot leave her again." Danny said near tears.

Mac pulled Danny into a hug and supported him while he cried. When he was done Mac said, "This is not your fault and no one is blaming you. You didn't lose her any more than we all did. We thought she was safe. This guy has shown us that we were wrong. We will find her and she will be safe again. Then she will never have her privacy again as someone from the team will constantly be there to protect her. I feel guilty for allowing that Meathead to watch over her. That is my burden to bare."

Mac felt Danny chuckle, "Meathead? Where'd ya hear that?"

"Oh, come on Danny. Do you think that I don't hear things, or secretly think them myself?" Mac said with a smile. "Seriously, though, you need to go home. That is an order. I will have someone escort you there, just so that I know you actually go home. I can't lose two detectives."

"You'll keep me updated, no matter how small the information or lead?" Danny asked skeptically.

Mac nodded his head and Danny said, "Okay. I'll go. Without the escort. I promise that I won't jeopardize the case because I have to know what's going on."

Mac seemed satisfied and so he nodded. They said their goodbyes as Danny walked with Mac back to his office to gather his things before he left the lab.

Mac watched as Danny took the elevator down and then he returned to his office. He sat behind his desk and didn't move. The effort to continue to think and move were too great for him. He had held it together for his team, but inside he was breaking apart. As he watched Lindsay on the screen it was all he could do, not to attempt to crawl through the screen. That was his Lindsay, the one that he considered to be his daughter and she needed him. She needed them all and he felt completely useless. He understood where Danny was coming from. If Mac had wondered before, he didn't anymore. Danny loved that woman and he would fight for her. Mac loved her too, but for different reasons and in a different way. If she didn't make it…..The thought was too unbearable to even think. She had to make it. Everyone on the team depended on it. That woman from Montana had created a spot in everyone's heart. She had to remain strong until they could get to her. She just had to. While Mac remained sitting in the early morning light creeping in through his windows, a single tear escaped his eye.

* * *

><p>As Danny got off of the elevator on his floor, he sluggishly walked to his door. While he maneuvered his key into the lock, he heard the door across the hall open.<p>

"Hi Danny," Rikki said.

Danny turned to look at her, "Hi Rikki."

"Oh my goodness, don't you look a fright. Are you okay?" she asked as she took the few steps from her door to his. She began to put her hand on his forearm, but her brushed it off without thinking.

"No. Not so much. Had a long night. I'm gonna go get some sleep now." Danny replied without trying to sound too rude.

"Anything I can do to help? I can be a really good listener. Remember?" Rikki said with a bat of her eyelashes.

Danny coughed to clear his throat and said, "Rikki, we've had this talk. I'm with someone else now. Remember. This isn't going to work. What happened shouldn't have. " Danny cringed when he saw her face fall. He could have handled it better, but his was not the first time that she had accosted him at the door when he arrived home.

"Danny, I only want to help you. I can be your friend. Just give me a chance. That can't hurt anything, right?" Rikki pleaded.

Danny shook his head, "No. I almost lost her once because I didn't think. That isn't going to happen again. I'm sorry Rikki. But there really is no going back. Goodnight." With that Danny turned back around and pushed his door open. His only thoughts were of Lindsay and his bed.

Danny didn't see that Rikki watched as he all but shut the door in her face. Her eyes narrowed and she reached into her pocket to extract her cell phone. Punching a series of numbers she slowly returned to her apartment, as the person on the other line answered, she shut her door.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Who are you?" this is what Lindsay said the moment the man walked through the door.

She was over the shock and had moved onto the anger and irritation stage. She was done being tied up and wanted answers. She was still a little confused, but she did not want to let him see that side of her. She would be strong and not show any signs of weakness. She was determined that he would not break her. She was a lot stronger than she looked. She was tied up now, but she would find a way out of that too. If she had to play along, then she would. She wouldn't give herself to him in any way, but she could make him think that she would. She had to be careful, though. He was smart enough to get this far. She would just have to be much smarter.

"Well, hello to you too, Sweet Little Lindsay. I'm glad that I was missed," he said with a sly smile.

His smile vanished when she replied, "I didn't say that I missed you. I want to know who you are. I deserve to know, at least the name of the man who has decided my unwanted future."

He started to walk toward her, but again looked toward the far wall and retreated. Lindsay was unsure what to make of this. She didn't want to give away that she had noticed so she repeated, "Who are you? I want to know your name."

He looked into her eyes and smiled, "You want to know the name that you will be crying out when we love. Of course, I should have known. I have been wanting to hear you call out my name for so long."

Lindsay cringed when he said this. The thought of having sex or loving this man was repugnant. She schooled her expression, quickly, to not show any signs of her revulsion, though. She needed to be smart. She had to gain this man's trust so that she could get away.

"Again, that is not where I am ready or willing to go. I want to know your name so that I may address you properly. It seems unfair that you know so much about me, yet I know virtually nothing about you." She wanted to get him talking so that she could find a weakness that she may be able to manipulate him with it.

"Oh. Right. I should have known that you weren't ready. I must have scared you with talk of our love making." His face was contorted in pain and he began hitting his forehead with his palm saying, "stupid, stupid, stupid" repeatedly. Lindsay was unsure what to do, so she sat there on the concrete floor mesmerized by what she was witnessing. Distantly she thought that she was in more trouble than she had originally realized. Her fascination turned to near-panic when the man stepped into the room, walking slowly toward her. Lindsay, hastily stood from the floor where she had been sitting.

"You will not unsettle me like this again, is that understood? This is your fault and you are going to pay for it now. I don't trust you and I think that you want to leave me. Until I can be sure that you won't, you will remain restrained here. I had hoped that you would be more…receptive to me by now. It has been three days." He came to stand directly in front of her. Lindsay flinched as he raised his hand. He slowly caressed her cheek and went to move a stray strand of hair behind her ear. When he saw her flinch and felt her attempt to move slightly away he grabbed a handful of her hair and forced her to look at him. They were nose to nose and she could tell that he was quickly losing whatever stability he had.

"You will not move away from me. I will not wait much longer to have you. You will give yourself to me soon, whether you want to or not. You gave yourself to him and he is less of a man than me. HE is nothing! You WILL love me! I am your master and you will do as I say!" He shouted the last into her face.

His breath was uneven and his face had turned a shade of red that surprised Lindsay. She was not going to comply though. She would not let this man touch her in that way.

Lindsay didn't stop to think. She returned his anger with her own. Yelling just as loudly, "NO! I will not! Danny is more of a man than you! I let him touch me! I enjoy it! You? I will NEVER let you touch me like that! YOU are nothing to me! " as Lindsay finished, she knew that she had gone too far, too quickly.

The first punch landed in her stomach, she doubled over in pain. He didn't stop there. He continued to hit, punch, and kick any part of her body that he could reach. She fell to the floor, curling into a ball. She felt the anger recede in his punches as he continued to hit her on her shoulders and head, but with less power. Finally, he stopped and stepped away from her.

"You should not anger me so. You will never see him again. If you so much as say his name again, I will have to teach you this lesson again. I will tire of you if you continue to refuse to comply with my wishes. This is your choice. You are making this happen to you. I deserve better than that. Think about that the next time I come to visit you."

Lindsay was breathing heavily and was struggling to contain her tears and screams. Her entire body throbbed and any movement sent sharp twinges spiraling through her abdomen. She new that something was broken: possibly a rib or two, but she was not going to let it show. She kept her eyes averted as the tears threatened to fall. The last thing that she heard before the door closed was, "Paul. My name is Paul."

"Danny, where are you? I need you," Lindsay said weakly to the darkened room. If it had been three days, like Paul said. Then where was her team? Were they close to finding her? Could she handle this for much longer? One thing was certain Paul was becoming more and more unsettled and impatient. She was unsure for how much longer she could put him off. If she wanted to survive, she would have to give up on her team finding her. On Danny. She really wanted Danny right now. She was so tired of her captivity and just wanted to sleep this away. She needed to come up with a plan. She felt hopeless though. As long as she was tied up, she could never get the upper hand. What was she going to do? As despair washed over her, she began to cry, the tears spilling endlessly from her eyes. Hopelessness had set in and she was drowning in it.

* * *

><p>On the other side of the feed, that Lindsay didn't realize existed, Danny watched as the encounter between Lindsay and her captor unfolded. Wishing for all he was worth that he could be there for her. The feed had only just reconnected when the man had entered the room. Before that, the feed had been black for two days and Danny was becoming frantic to find out any information. He had sat for hours watching Adam's computer, hoping that the feed would reestablish.<p>

His heart leaped when it did and he quickly had Adam record it and then sent Adam to get Mac. Mac had only returned in time to see that bastard use Lindsay as a punching bag.

Danny's blood boiled and he promised himself that he would kill this man if he got the chance. He sat transfixed as the door was closing, and they were given a lead, "Paul, my name is Paul." It may be small, but it was definitely more than they had. What he heard next tore his heart out of his chest, "Danny, where are you? I need you." Those little words caused him to lose his breath and suddenly need to sit down. He was shaking and didn't initially hear Mac when he started to talk to Danny.

"Danny. Danny. Are you alright?" Mac asked, concern lacing his question.

Danny looked up at Mac and said, "I'm going to kill him, Mac. For all that he has done to her. She thinks that I'm not coming. She doesn't know that we have no idea where she is. I'm going to kill him."

Mac nodded his head and then turned back to the computer. They both sat quietly as they listened to Lindsay cry. This was their mutual penance for not being able to find her. Mac didn't wallow too long though.

"We have a name now. Paul. "P". Let's double check all staff and tenants at Lindsay's apartment building. That may bring us something." Mac said. "Danny let's get to work. We need to find her. From what I can tell, she doesn't have that long before things get even worse. We will wallow after we have her back. She needs us too much right now to give up."

"I ain't giving up, Mac. I'll get to it. Adam?" Danny turned to see him standing in the doorway, "Watch this feed. Watch Lindsay and make sure that she is okay. Let me know the instant that SOB returns or if something changes with Linds." Adam nodded and sat behind the computer.

Danny reluctantly took one more look at the computer, where his love sat crying for him, before he left the room. He had work to do. He was going to find this guy. And then he was going to kill him.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Danny was sitting at his desk reviewing the transcripts of the interviews that had been conducted at Lindsay's apartment building. He had looked over them twice now. There must be something that he was missing. He had a feeling that the answer to who this Paul is, was in the files. He just had to find it. So, he started over again with the first apartment occupants. He had been working on the files for over two hours when Adam rushed into his office.

"Danny. I had a thought. When this Paul guy walked into the camera frame to hit….um….hit Lindsay. I realized that we got a look at his face," Adam started to say.

Danny felt excitement course through his veins. "Are you sure Adam? Do we have an ID?"

"No, well, it was actually the side of his face, but I was able to make a computer composite with what we did get." Adam said as though he was unsure of himself.

"Adam, that's great! Where is it? I wanna see it." Danny exclaimed.

Adam handed the piece of paper that he was holding to Danny's hands. "I haven't shown this to anyone else yet, I thought that you would want to see it first."

Danny nodded as he took the picture from Adam. He took a deep breath and then looked down into the computerized eyes of Paul. His heart stopped, "I know this guy."

"What? How?" Adam sputtered.

"In Lindsay's apartment building a few days before he took her. He bumped into me and I asked if she had seen him before, but she hadn't. We decided that he didn't fit the description…." Danny couldn't stop looking at the picture.

Adam finally cleared his throat and said, "I still need to show that to Mac, Danny."

"Yeah sure. No. Wait. If he was in her building, then maybe he lived there. We have his first name, let's see if anyone fits the bill." Danny turned away from Adam and returned to his desk. He was looking for a name. There were only two Pauls who lived in the building. The first had been dismissed as a possibility because he was seventy-three and wheelchair bound. The other Paul was not home at the time that Flack and Hawkes went to interview him. There was a note attached to the file indicating that they had left their cards asking Paul to contact one of them. As far as Danny could tell, that hadn't happened.

Danny grabbed the file and turned to Adam, "Let's go see Mac. You may have cracked this wide open, Adam. Remind me to buy you a drink after this is all over!" Danny was smiling as he led the way out of his office.

* * *

><p>"Mac, I think we have our guy! Adam is a genius! We have a picture and I think I have his name, Paul Tinder." Danny declared as he walked into Mac's office.<p>

"Okay. Start at the beginning." Mac said, trying to keep his head and not get too excited.

Danny quickly relayed the information that he and Adam had just uncovered. Danny felt his excitement increase and was ready to go to this guy's house and have a "talk" with him.

Mac could feel Danny's excitement and wanted to slow him down. He knew how Danny could sometimes go off without thinking.

"Danny, I want you to contact Flack and have him meet us there." Mac said.

Danny started at the unexpected inclusion of Mac to his plans. "Mac, you know I can do this. I don't need you to babysit me…" he began.

"I am not babysitting you. This is about Lindsay and I want her back as much as you. I will be a part of this. We will all work together to get her home." Mac said, stopping Danny's tirade before he really got started.

"Okay Mac. Let's go. I think we've had to wait too long already." Danny said as he started toward the door.

"Adam, is the feed still active? Can we still see Lindsay?" Mac asked.

"Yes, I have it on auto record so that it records when the feed is active and not when it is off. " Adam reported.

"Good. We are going to change this game on him and I want you to monitor what is happening. If he is there, he may have a way to know that we have found him. I want to know the instant something changes for her. This could make if worse until we can find her." Mac said.

Adam nodded and walked out of the office, presumably to return to his office. He had been given the job of watching Lindsay all day and was becoming more anxious as the day wore on. He hated to see her in pain and watch he struggle with her bindings. He would do it, though he would do anything to help Lindsay. She would do it for anyone else.

* * *

><p>They approached the fourth floor apartment with quiet precision. They didn't want to alert Paul to their approach if they could help it. They were hoping that he was inside, but had already gotten the key from the landlord just in case.<p>

Mac led the team, followed by Danny, Flack, and Stella. Stella had heard the guys talking about the new lead and had insisted on accompanying them. There were no objections to this. There were other officers outside and helping others to leave their apartments so that they would be out of any harms way.

Mac knocked on the door of 4F. He waited patiently to hear any movement inside the apartment. When none came, he knocked louder and loudly called out, "NYPD". Again, they all waited, their impatience rising. Mac motioned to Flack (who held the key) to come forward and unlock the door. Flack did this quietly and efficiently.

"NYPD" was called out again as the door swung open and Mac, taking the lead again, led his crew into the dark apartment. They cleared the room meticulously and with a practiced ease.

"All clear" was recited after each room was searched.

"Someone turn on the lights. I can't see anything in here," Mac said. Stella found the light switch in the living room, where everyone had returned to after clearing the apartment.

"Mac, there's no furniture, in any room of the apartment. When I was clearing the bedroom though, I thought I saw something. I'm going to start there," Stella said.

She disappeared down the hallway. A few minutes later, she yelled out, "Mac, Danny you guys have to see this!"

They rushed down the hallway thinking the worst. What they found made their stomachs turn and left them speechless.

"He must have been watching her for months," said Stella. In front of her covering an entire wall, were pictures of Lindsay. There must have been a few hundred photos that he had taken of her and taped to his wall. There were also newspaper clippings of the case in Montana, takeout menus from her favorite restaurants and other things that she loves.

"Well. I'd say that we found the right Paul," Flack said as he walked into the room, breaking the silence that had engulfed his colleagues.

"Yes, I think we have. Let's see what we can learn about this Paul Tinder." Mac said with satisfaction.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

She heard him coming before he unlocked the door and stood in the entryway. She refused to meet his eyes. She knew that he needed to be close for her plan to work. She had realized earlier that it was either going to be her or him, and she had decided that it was going to be her that survived. It has been about five days, by her calculations. She was fairly certain that she was right, give or take about twelve hours. There were no windows here, but she had been counting the hours since she last saw him.

"Good evening, Little Lindsay. Have you missed me? I have definitely missed you. I have been away planning the next stage. You are going to love it. Well, maybe you won't, but I've been waiting for this for a while now," Paul gleefully proclaimed.

Lindsay had been waiting for this. She knew that she couldn't put him off forever. She had a plan, though. He had been gone for a little over a day, leaving a few granola bars and bottles of water for Lindsay. She had finally lost her battle with her bladder and had used the can in the corner that he had left for that reason. She felt disgusting and dirty. She wanted a shower. That was her only hope. That he would fall for her next words.

"If I am expected to have sex with you, then I want something from you first," she said, carefully watching his expression.

Shock was evident on his face. He had expected a much larger fight, tears even. This was definitely unexpected. He wearily said, "What?"

Here it was, the linchpin in her plan, "I want to take a shower first."

"Wha….Umm….Huh. I hadn't expected that you would want to look and smell good for me. I'm pleased," Paul said, delight shining on his face.

"It is more for me than it is for you. But, that is what I want. Please," Lindsay said. Looking at him for the first time.

"Okay, Little Lindsay. I will unlock your shackles, but if you try to run. Today will be very painful for you. I will make sure of it." He advanced on Lindsay, removing a set of keys from his pocket as he did.

* * *

><p>Danny, Mac, Stella, Flack, Hawkes, and Adam were watching the computer screen intently.<p>

"What is she up to?" Stella said. "There is no way that she would give herself to this scumbag."

Danny was under the same impression. This was going to be a game changer. He could feel it.

They were making strides in identifying who Paul Tinder actually was. It has been two days since he attacked Lindsay and they found the treasure trove of Lindsay artifacts in his apartment. They knew that he had sub-letted the apartment four months ago. They also knew that he had been in a violent car accident five years ago and that he had sustained a severe traumatic brain injury. In the court hearing against the other driver's insurance company, Paul's friends and family had reported that the he had changed drastically in his personality. Sometimes morphing into a violent person without any provocation. From what Danny could tell, he was a kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He had also settled the case out of court for what sounded like a six figure settlement.

They had his face now and he was being blasted on the news and a BOLO had been issued with his actual information on it. Flack had interviewed Paul's family, his sister and mother, and neither had reported seeing or speaking to him in the last month. They were adamant that we were investigating the wrong person. Their Paulie wouldn't have done this. When questioned about his mood swings and anger, they both stated that they had no idea what Flack was talking about. Another dead end.

Now Lindsay was changing the game on him, and them. He hoped that she didn't think that they had given up on her. She wasn't alone, even though he knew that was how she felt.

They all watched silently as Paul walked toward Lindsay. He made a show of unlocking her shackles, taking his time. Danny was sick to his stomach. If that guy thought that Lindsay was going to touch him, he was delusional. Danny watched Lindsay's face as he touched her, and saw the revulsion on it. He also saw her body as it started to coil, ready to strike. She was wound up really well now. Paul had just removed the last shackle and started to take a step back, smiling, when she struck.

Lindsay hit him hard and hit him fast. She connected with his jaw and came back with a punch to his solar plexus before he had a chance to react to the onslaught. Then they could hear a roar of anger from Paul and he swiftly hit Lindsay across the cheek, sending her to the ground. He was on her then, pushing and pulling at her clothes while simultaneously slapping and hitting her.

"You stupid bitch! I was going to be gentle. Now, I am going to make you scream!" He continued to attack her clothing with a savage wanting.

"No! No!" was all Lindsay could reply as he continued to hit her. She used her strength to buck him off of her and kicked him in the thigh. Danny watched in horror as the fight continued and Lindsay struggled to get the upper hand. She was able to crawl a short distance before there was a sickening pop as Paul stepped violently on her right ankle. Lindsay's cry of pain sent chills down Danny's spine. If for no other reason, Danny swore that he would kill Paul for that.

Lindsay didn't stop though. She continued to crawl toward the door. She was on a mission and her determination awed Danny, and everyone else in the room. There were silent prayers sent up and everyone stood in rapt attention as Paul leaned down and viciously grabbed Lindsay by the back of her head, tangling his hand into her hair. He attempted to pull Lindsay to him, but she was undeterred, she continued to hit and punch every part that she could reach. She must have jabbed him in the eye, because he screamed and then dropped her to the floor as he covered his face.

He came back at her with a renewed vengeance, pinning her body to the floor as he straddled her legs. Lindsay stopped moving and waited for the next move.

"Do you give up, Little Lindsay?" Paul said. "No one is looking for you, I guess that you don't matter to them. You are mine and I will have you. There is still a payment for what happened here, that you owe."

Lindsay was quiet for a second and then yelled, "You will have to kill me first." With that she punched Paul in the nose. Even from the other side of the computer, Danny could see the blood as it began to gush out. Paul stumbled back and Lindsay took the opportunity to grab her shackles. Using the chain, she wrapped it around his neck, and pulled. Too late, Paul realized what was happening. He tried, unsuccessfully, to get his hand around the chain, to free up his airway. When that didn't work, he attempted to continue to punch Lindsay, but she was behind him now, and his punches went wild, none of them hitting their mark. Lindsay continued to apply pressure and Paul started to lose strength.

The team stood I silence as they watched Lindsay kill her captor. After he had fallen, face first to the ground, Lindsay stopped pulling on the rope. She began to sob uncontrollably and sank to the floor, all energy gone. She then looked at her hands and wiped them on her tattered and filthy clothing. "What have I done?" Lindsay stated in despair. Danny would give anything to be with her now. She was mourning the loss of life more than that of the victim. Danny was aware that the rest of the team was just as speechless.

Danny looked at Stella and there were tears rolling down her face. Mac was stone faced as he watched, Adam was having a hard time looking at the screen and Flack and Hawkes looked sick. Danny knew that none of those present would hold this against her they were reacting to the violent encounter that Lindsay had just survived.

All eyes returned to the screen as Lindsay's cries subsided and she began to try to stand back up. She struggled to do so, as her ankle did not appear to want to work for her. She took a deep breath, looked at Paul's body and said, "Who's little now?" With that she hobbled out of camera view and out of the room.

The silence was broken by Flack's laughter. He looked around the room as all eyes turned to him, "Oh come on. I can't have been the only one who was irritated that he kept calling her 'Little Lindsay'. It was annoying." Flack said.

Smiles were forced form their faces now, but then Hawkes asked the question that Danny was about to, "What now? She's free, but where is she?"

Mac realized that this was intended mainly for him. "I don't know. We will have to hope that she can get to safety or find a phone there so that she can call us. Unfortunately, Lindsay is still on her own." Mac sounded defeated, even though he knew that she was free, she wasn't safe yet. They needed to find her. She was in pain and needed help. He had to pray that she could get a call to them soon.

"Guys, he's moving," were the next words that came from Adam.

Everyone turned to the monitor. As they watched, they saw that he was, in fact, moving. A little at first, but then he started to move around and rolled onto his back.

The team watched this scene for twenty minutes before he sat up and looked around. Danny knew the instant that he realized Lindsay was gone. He began to move more quickly and turned his head rapidly looking for her. "Bitch. I will kill you now." Then he struggled to his feet and staggered from view, presumably out of the room.

"It's been what, thirty maybe forty minutes since Lindsay left? That's a good head start, right Mac?" Danny asked, hopefully.

"It's all she's got right now. We need to know where she is. Come on Lindsay, call us." Mac said.

As if by some miracle, Mac's phone rang. He instantly answered it, "Mac Taylor".

Silence, a smile, then "Put her through!"

"Lindsay! Where are you? Okay. Stay on the line. You're doing great! We will track you by the phone. Everything is fine now. We're coming to get you." Mac said through near tears.

Mac handed the phone to Danny, "She wants you."

Danny greedily took the phone, "Hey Montana. Hold on we're coming."

"Danny, please hurry. I don't think that I can last that long. I just got outside and there are trees everywhere, I have no idea where I am. I've been following a paved road for what feels like forever, no cars have come by and there were no bars on the cell phone when I took it. This is the first time a call has gone through. I'm scared. Danny I need you." Lindsay said all of this in one breath. She was very close to being in shock. She was also close to hysteria, now that she was free, she still felt a million miles away.

"Babe. Take a deep breath. You need to know that you didn't kill Paul; he just left. You need to find a safe place to hide until I get there. Okay. Get somewhere safe and don't move until I get there." Mac looked at Danny and gave the thumbs-up sign, then he motioned for his phone back, Danny relinquished it.

"Lindsay, we have your location. Do what Danny said. We are about thirty minutes out. We're coming." Mac said, then handed the phone back to Danny, "Keep her calm and on the line."

To the team at large he said, "Let's go get our girl!" They all ran from Adam's office. Time was still important. Paul was awake and he would be coming after Lindsay again. They had a thirty to forty minute advantage. They would be cutting it close.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Lindsay, we're coming. We will be there very soon, I promise," Danny said into the phone. Lindsay had stopped talking a few minutes ago. Danny was concerned, but he couldn't do anything. He could hear her breathing and the crunching of snow and branches as she moved to find a place to hide.

"Okay. Danny. I am on a small hill just up from the road. There is a lot of underbrush and I found a little hole dug into the earth. I have gotten into it and pulled dead leaves over myself. I don't think that he will find me here. God, I hope he can't find me." Lindsay finally said.

"Good. That's good Linds. Stay safe and out of sight, we are ten minutes out. We will be there soon. I love you."

"I love you too. Please hurry Danny. I'm so cold." This was the middle of winter and Lindsay had left without a coat.

Danny put his hand over the receiver, "Hawkes, she said she's really cold. You gotta thermal blanket in that kit?"

Hawkes looked up when he heard his name and then searched through his medical kit, "Yep. Right here. She may be suffering a form of hypothermia. I'll make sure that she is evaluated for that as soon as I see her."

They had left before any other officers could be informed. Mac had called it into the local station. They were sending back up and paramedics. The team was about ten minutes ahead of them, so Hawkes would be taking point on assessing Lindsay's injuries.

"Linds, Hawkes has a nice warm blanket for you, okay." Danny said into the receiver.

"Hawkes is with you?" Lindsay said.

"Of course he is. Everyone is with me. We are ALL coming to save you." Danny said.

"Thank you. I thought that…" Lindsay started to say.

"Nope, Linds. We have been looking for you; you are our priority. You do realize that once you're back, you will never have a moment of privacy again. We are going to drive you nuts, me especially." Danny could hear Lindsay chuckle through the phone.

"Fine by me. I'm looking forward to…"

Silence.

"Lindsay? You okay, sweetie?" Danny was growing concerned, she seemed to struggle more with following the conversation.

"Linds…"

"Danny he's coming. I can see him on the road. He's walking toward me. I don't think that he can see me, but now I don't know." Lindsay said.

Danny's heart rate picked up, "okay. Lindsay. Stay quiet and watch him, If anything changes tell me. I'm going to stay on the line with you. You aren't alone. Do you hear me, you aren't alone."

"Ok, Danny. I love you." Then silence.

"I love you too." Again, Danny covered the receiver. "She sees Paul, he's walking up the road. She doesn't think that he can see her, but we need to get there. "

Mac nodded his head and looked at the GPS on the dash. "We are five minutes out. "

Danny nodded and relayed the information to Lindsay, "Five minutes, Linds. We will be there in five minutes. Stay strong."

* * *

><p>Lindsay watched as Paul continued to walk up the road. He was looking both ways, looking for any sign of life. "I will find you! You must be cold. Come out, come out wherever you are. I promise that it will be quick. When I kill you. You have proven that you aren't worthy of me. You will not succeed in getting away. They cannot help you. Your beloved, Danny isn't here to help. They don't even know where you are." Paul laughed and mocked as his voice bounced off the walls of the valley.<p>

Lindsay didn't dare make a sound. She could hear Danny breathing on the other end, "It's not true, Linds. We are coming and I will be there to protect you. He's not going to kill you. We are three minutes away. You should be able to hear the sirens soon."

Lindsay's heart was racing and she felt a small glimmer of hope, that hadn't been there throughout the entire ordeal. Danny was coming and she would live.

Paul continued his stroll, every so often yelling. Lindsay was glad that the snow had started to melt away; if she were lucky her footprints wouldn't be noticeable. She said a prayer and waited.

As Paul reached the stretch of road directly parallel to her hiding spot, she heard the first sound of sirens. So did Paul.

"Dammit Lindsay! How did you do it?" He started to pat the liner of his coat, looking for his phone. "On my phone?! Where are you?! I will still have you! You belong to me! Where are you?" As he yelled this, he realized that his great plan was disintegrating while he watched.

Lindsay started to panic as she realized that Paul was seeking refuge from the same set of trees that she was. He was attempting to get out of sight before the cop cars reached him. He ducked further and further behind the trees.

Lindsay could do nothing. If she told Danny, then Paul would hear her. She was hiding about forty feet from where he stood. She hoped that Danny wouldn't talk to her again. He would inadvertently give her away.

Lindsay, as quietly as she could, disconnected the phone call. Her lifeline to Danny was just severed.

* * *

><p>"The phone went dead. I've lost her," Danny declared, just as Mac said, "Stop! This is where she is."<p>

The van came to a screeching halt. Everyone piled out. There was one solitary black paved road, going north and south. To the east and west, were hills with dense foliage and trees adorning them, creating a valley that the road sat in.

Danny knew that Lindsay was out there somewhere, waiting for him. Why hadn't she called out yet? Something was wrong. Had he found her?

"Fan out. Let's find her," yelled Mac. Instantly there were a chorus of "Lindsay's" being called out as everyone fanned out and began to meticulously search for their friend.

It seemed like forever to Danny, that they were yelling for her. Then suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. He watched as Lindsay shot up and out of her hiding spot and sprint/hobbled down the hill into Mac's arms.

"Nooooo! She is mine!"

Danny couldn't tell where that was coming from, but his main focus was getting to Lindsay. In five large strides, he was at Mac's side. Lindsay was crying and incoherent.

"He's…he…up…by…..me….."

Mac turned with Lindsay and looked up to where she came from. He relinquished his hold on Lindsay to Danny as soon as he arrived.

Danny gratefully took her. She clung to him and was finally able to say, "He was up on the hill….right by me…I thought he would see me."

Mac motioned and then yelled to his crew, "He's up there. Let's find him."

Danny was vaguely aware that Hawkes was trying to get to Lindsay. Finally he heard, "Danny carry her to the van. I need to look over her."

Without another thought, Lindsay was swept up into his arms and he was moving to the van. He wasn't letting her out of his sight.

"Give me room Danny. She's safe now. Just give me a little room." Hawkes said.

Danny reluctantly took a few steps back. He wasn't sure who was clinging to who's hand more tightly, Lindsay or himself. That was the only contact that he had and he wasn't letting go. Neither was she.

Danny looked up the hill and watched as the other officers arrived to assist, Mac instructing them on what to look for. Danny wanted to be the person who found him. He wanted to serve a little justice to that SOB, but Lindsay stopped him.

"No Danny. Let them find him. Please. Don't let go." With those words, any thought of revenge would have to wait, he needed to be here with and for Lindsay.

"Let's get her into the ambulance. I can assess her on the way to the hospital." Hawkes said.

"I'm going too. Don't try to stop me," Danny said.

No one attempted to stop him as they moved Lindsay to a gurney and secured her in the ambulance. He got in next, followed by Hawkes.

* * *

><p>Paul watched as Lindsay was loaded into the ambulance and his anger seethed as he watched Danny get in after her. He would find a way to get her back. This time it wouldn't be forever, now he had a score to settle with her.<p>

Paul could see the officers converging on the hill. He had to move quickly to get away. He knew this area better than they did. He also knew how to vanish from sight.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Danny and Hawkes weren't allowed to go with Lindsay when they arrived at the hospital. Danny had put up a fight, but Hawkes was able to calm him down. Danny promised Lindsay that he would be there and not to worry. She reluctantly let go of his hand as she was wheeled back into the ER.

They had been waiting for over and hour and a half. Every time that he approached the nurse, he got the same response, "When the doctor is done, they will let you know what is going on." Danny had to accept this. He didn't want to get kicked out or make things worse. He did send Hawkes back to check and make sure that she was still okay a few times. They didn't seem to be as bothered by his presence. Mainly, because he was able to give them a general description of what her injuries were when they arrived. They were impressed that he was once a doctor and thought that he was very helpful.

Danny waited as Sheldon went back again; he seemed to want to make sure that she was okay as much as Danny did. Danny was by himself in the waiting room when the rest of the team arrived.

"Did you get him?" Danny asked before anyone could say anything.

Stella shook her head, looking defeated, "Nope. He somehow, got away. That bastard!"

"We'll get him. We did find the place where he was keeping Lindsay, though. It's being processed now," Mac said.

"I have ordered around the clock security for Lindsay. This time, though, the security detail will be members of our team. I don't want to have the same debacle as before. No more Officer Meatheads for Lindsay. She needs people who care about her watching over her." Mac said as he looked down the hallway.

"How is she?" Mac asked Danny.

"Don't know. They will only let Sheldon back there. Apparently, I get in the way and am too demanding." Danny said sulkily.

Mac nodded his head. "Okay, so we wait."

"That's all I've been doing." Danny stated, putting his head in his hands.

Mac was about to respond when Hawkes appeared in the waiting room doorway. He looked relieved to see the team.

"Okay. So I have some news. Not all good though." Hawkes said as he looked at Danny, who had stood when Hawkes entered the room.

"What is it?" Mac said.

Hawkes began to detail Lindsay's injuries as he looked around the room. "She has a hairline fracture in her skull. They speculated that she received the initial injury when he took her five days ago, that's probably why there is internal bleeding and swelling." Stella gasped and the tears in her eyes spilled over onto her cheeks. Mac moved to sit next to her and grabbed her hand, holding on tightly.

Hawkes continued, "She also has a concussion and suffered a loss of consciousness when she arrived. She has two broken ribs and three that are fractured. She has a partially collapsed lung, which is causing a problem for her right now. They had to insert a breathing tube to assist with her breathing. They are hoping that she won't need it for too long. He didn't break her ankle like I thought; it's just severely sprained, which will take longer to heal than a break. Finally, they have decided to take her into surgery because there was internal bleeding found when they did an X-Ray of her abdomen. They won't know what that means until they open her up. That's where we stand right now. He did a lot of damage and it will take a few months before she is completely healed. I am amazed that she was able to fight him off and get away with all the injuries that she has," Hawkes said with a shake of his head.

Mac took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay. So we wait."

* * *

><p>Three hours and two pots of coffee later, the doctor finally walked into the waiting room. "Lindsay Monroe," he said and everyone stood up.<p>

"Tell us what you got, Doc," Danny said. He had no patience for waiting any longer. He wanted to see Lindsay and he was growing desperate.

The Doctor nodded, "She made it through surgery with flying colors. Once we got in there we found that her spleen had ruptured and there was a small hole in her bladder. We were able to remove the spleen and repair her bladder. Everything else looked good. Well, as good as it could be. She was pretty beaten up. It's going to take a while for her to heal. She needs complete rest for the next several weeks for that healing to take place. I don't think that she will be able to use crutches until her ribs heal, so she will be wheelchair bound for a few weeks as well. I would like to keep her here for the next 5 to 7 days depending on how she is healing. We have not removed the breathing tube as she was still struggling to take breaths on her own. That will come out some time tomorrow if everything goes according to plan. Are there any questions for me?"

"Yes, when can I see her?" Danny quickly asked.

"She is in recovery right now. When she is moved into her room, then you can visit her. We intend on putting her in the Critical Care Unit until she has the tube out, at least. She will need rest so I will ask that if everyone wants to see her, you take turns. No more than two at a time." The doctor said firmly.

"The man who did this is still on the loose. We will have a member of our team with her at all times until this man is found. Please make concessions for this. This is non-negotiable. You may run her care, but I am in charge of her life. We've almost lost her once, I won't allow for that to happen again, "Mac said with steel in his reply.

The doctor nodded once, "That seems fair. If there are no other questions, I want to return to see how she is doing. I will let you know when you can see her." The doctor turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

"I assume that you will be taking the first watch and will want to see her as soon as possible. I will give you five minutes alone before I join you. Then Stella, Flack, Sheldon, and Adam can fight over who gets to see her next." Mac said with a smile.

The tension in the room was depleted as they realized that Lindsay was going to be okay.

Ten minutes later, a nurse came to summon Danny. He hurriedly followed her down a long hallway into the Critical Care Unit. She led him to the first room on the right. There lying in the bed was Lindsay. She was asleep and was hooked up to several machines. There were two IV's and the breathing tube. She looked so small and fragile there in that bed. Danny wished that he could crawl into bed with her and just hold her. He knew that he couldn't though. The nurse quietly left the room and Danny walked to Lindsay's side, gently taking her hand. He vowed that he would never let her out of his sight again. She was stuck with him no matter what happened. He would always be there to help her and take care of her.

"Hey Linds. It's me. Danny. I'm gonna be here with you until you wake up and then for every other day after that. I'm not gonna leave your side again. " Danny said to her sleeping form. He stood there watching her sleep and caressing her hand until Mac walked in.

Mac was shocked when he saw Lindsay. At the scene he was cognizant of her state, but was equally as focused with catching Paul Tinder and making him pay for what he had done to her. Now, he was truly seeing the Lindsay that was hurt for the first time. As Sheldon and then the doctor relayed her injuries, he heard them, but didn't truly process them until he saw her in the bed.

"She's gonna be fine, Mac. We're going to make sure of it." Danny said. Mac knew that there would never be a time that she was out of his sight again.

Mac said, "I heard you tell her that you loved her on the phone. Is that true?"

Danny looked up from Lindsay to look at Mac and then back again, "I love her more than I thought. I mean…that didn't come out right." Danny stopped, lost in thought.

"Before this happened, I knew that I wanted to be with her. I knew that I loved her, but now I know that if I lost her…..I don't think that I could go on. She's the person that I want to wake up to. The first person I want to talk things over with. I want to be there to help her through her problems, to be a sounding board when she is working a case. I've never felt that way before. She's changed me, Mac. I don't want to think of what, or who I would become if I lost her." Danny finished as he turned to look at Mac.

"Luckily, neither one of us will have to find that out. We are going to protect her until this guy is caught and then you can take over the sole responsibility after that, if you want." Mac said quietly. Then he continues, "I don't know what happened between the two of you a few months ago. I don't need to know. What I do need to know is that it won't affect your jobs. I also want to let you know that if you hurt her again, you will have to answer to me. She doesn't deserve any more pain or hurt in her life. If you can promise me that, I will never say another thing about your relationship."

"Deal, Mac. That's the easiest thing that I've ever had to agree to. I have a lot of things to make up for. I will spend my life showing her what she means to me." Danny replied, looking at Lindsay again.

Mac nodded his head, then walked to the side of the bed and leaned down to gently kiss Lindsay's forehead. "I know that she's in good hands. I'll send Stella in next. She'd kill me if I let someone else in here first." Mac said with a smile.

Danny chuckled and watched as Mac left the room, shutting the door lightly as he left.

"I meant what I said Montana. I will spend the rest of my life proving to you that I am worthy. I love you." Danny kissed her lightly on the cheek, than waited for Stella to arrive.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Lindsay woke to the sounds of machines and her beeping heart rate. She struggled to keep her eyes open for longer than a few seconds. They wanted to remain closed and she fought to keep them focused. She slightly shook her head and then realized that something was in her mouth. This caused her anxiety to increase and she was momentarily scared. She could hear the rapid staccato of her heart when it increased. This must have also awoken Danny, because she felt pressure on her hand and his calming voice in her ear.

"Linds. Honey. You are safe. You are going to be fine. You are in the hospital right now." As he spoke, she opened her eyes more and forced them to focus. She could see Danny to the right of her and feel his caresses on her hand and arm as he spoke gently to her.

He must have understood the panic that she was feeling because, he next said, "You have a breathing tube in you airway to help with your breathing. Your lung was partially collapsed when they brought you in and you were struggling to breath. Do you remember that?"

Lindsay tried to talk, but realized that she couldn't, instead she slightly nodded her head, tears in her eyes.

"Honey, there is no need to cry. I promise that you are safe. I won't leave your side again. The breathing tube will be removed as soon as you can breath on your own." Danny stated reassuringly. The pressure on Lindsay's hand increased as Danny attempted to keep her calm.

Lindsay wanted more than anything to tell Danny that she was okay, just had some residual fear from her ordeal. She wouldn't express how happy she was to see him and be near him. She wanted the breathing tube out now.

Lindsay mimed for a pen and paper. Danny released his hold on her hand and went in search of a pen and paper in the bedside table of the hospital room. He came up triumphant. He gently handed the paper and pen to Lindsay and patiently waited as she struggled to make her hands work. She was finally able to spell out, "Get it out now."

Danny smiled and said, "I'll call for the nurse. It's about…" Danny consulted his watch, "3:45 in the morning." He then picked up the call button and depressed it. A few moments later a static voice responded, "Can I help you?"

Danny replied, "Lindsay is awake and wants to remove her breathing tube."

Again, the static voice replied, "I will be right in. Please keep her calm and don't let her pull on it." The call was disconnected and Danny smiled.

"They don't have much faith in me. I was a bit of a pest when you first arrived." Danny looked at Lindsay and he could have sworn that she looked like she wanted to laugh.

"Okay, so I harassed the staff so much they threatened to throw me out. I didn't want that, so I tried to be good. I had Sheldon check on you every thirty minutes or so before you went into surgery. It was awful, not being able to see you or stay with you. I have been very good since they let me in here though. I haven't left your side since." Danny said as though he needed to explain. Lindsay grabbed his hand and brought it to her cheek, closing her eyes. The nurse chose that moment to enter the room.

"Hello, Ms. Monroe, I'm glad that you are awake." She said while she briskly walked across the room.

"I gave her a pad of paper and a pen and this is what she wrote." Danny said.

The nurse took the paper from Danny, quickly read what it said and then shook her head. Her next words were directed at Lindsay, "I know that you are scared and the tube is a bit uncomfortable, but it is necessary. We will not be removing it until later this morning, if at all. I have contacted the doctor and informed him of your waking. He is on his way now. " She said with a smile.

Lindsay could only nod her understanding.

Danny, however asked, "Why can't she lose the tube? She's awake now and seems to be doing better. Can we talk to the Doc and ask him to remove it tonight? I don't think that continuing to scare her in this way is good for her."

The nurse pursed her lips, "Mr. Messer, I understand that you are trying to be helpful, but we are doing what is best for Ms. Meonroe right now. When Dr. Thornston arrives, I will let him know about your questions."

"I can ask him, I have no plans to leave," Danny said heatedly, crossing his arms over his chest. He felt that the nurse was being deliberately difficult to get back at him for his earlier annoyance in the ER. News must travel with him, because he hadn't even met this woman before a few hours ago.

Before the nurse could respond, and by the looks of it she was not pleased with how he had spoken to her, the doctor arrived.

He must have sensed the tension in the room because, he walked over to Danny and shook his hand, then addressed Lindsay before even looking at her nurse.

"It is good to see you awake Lindsay. I must say, you have had me worried all night," He spoke with a smile on his lips. "How long has she been awake?"

The doctor directed this question to the nurse, but Danny answered first, "About twenty minutes. When she first woke, she became scared and then calmed and asked for a pen and paper. When I gave it to her she wrote that," Danny motioned to the pad of paper the nurse still held in her hand.

The doctor motioned for the nurse to hand it over, but instead she stated, "I don't think that the tube should come out yet. We have only been monitoring her for the last several hours. I already told them that it would not be taken out until later this morning."

The doctor listened to the nurse quietly, but continued to hold his hand out for the paper. Finally, after a virtual staring contest between the two, she handed it over. The doctor looked at it and smiled.

"I will have to assess how well your breathing is when we turn off the machine. If you are able to maintain proper oxygen, then I see no reason not to remove it in the next half hour." He directed his statement to Lindsay and she was relieved. Danny smiled smugly at the nurse.

"Dr. Thornston, I really think that she needs it for longer than this." The nurse began.

The doctor cut her off by saying, "We have a reasonable request from our patient. I will assess her oxygen levels and monitor how she is holding up. This IS my job and I will do it. Our creed is, 'First do no harm.' I see no reason to prolong her discomfort." He turned from the nurse's shocked face and looked at Danny.

"I will allow you to stay in the room as long you stay out of the way and she is able to tolerate the removal of the breathing machine. I will warn you, though, removing the tube is not a pretty business." Danny nodded as the doctor explained all that it entailed.

"You got it, Doc. Whatever Lindsay needs, that's what I'll do." Danny said without hesitation.

The doctor smiled. "Good. I will turn the ventilator off at slow increments to see if her lungs are strong enough to maintain a normal oxygen level. If it looks like she can do that, then we will look at removing the tube permanently."

The doctor walked to the bed and pulled up Lindsay's chart on the computer. The nurse's stare could have bored a hole into his back. Danny was very glad that her furious focus was not on him now. He would talk to Lindsay about removing the nurse from her treatment team when she was feeling more up to it. For now, he would be patient and wait for Lindsay to get better. He would support her in any way that she needed.

Danny walked to the side rail of Lindsay's bed and she grabbed for his hand. Danny held it and knew that he would have a hard time letting go.

"Are you going to be needing me, Doctor?" The nurse asked the doctor.

"Yes, I need you to continue to monitor Lindsay's vitals as I start to decrease the ventilator. Is there going to be a problem, should I get someone else to assist me?" The doctor stated this pleasantly, but Danny got the feeling that he was quickly loosing patience with the nurse.

"No, sir. I will be able to assist. I was only wondering if you needed me for anything." The nurse stated, lamely.

"Please monitor Lindsay while I decrease the machine." The doctor said, then returned to the machine.

The process was long and Danny was worried and anxiety ridden the entire time. He waited patiently as Lindsay struggled to breath. She never took her eyes off of Danny and he stood by her, trying to give her any strength that she needed. Finally, the doctor declared that Lindsay was breathing on her own and he would remove the tube.

"This will hurt. No matter what you do, please do not move. I will be pulling this out as you exhale. It is important that you only exhale do not try to breath in while I do this. I will make it as quick an extraction as possible. Do you understand this?" The doctor asked kindly.

Lindsay nodded and squeezed Danny's hand and she prepared herself.

"One, tow, three." The doctor began to pull as Danny heard Lindsay exhale. Danny knew that the tube was out when Lindsay began to cough uncontrollably. She was trying to cover her mouth and winced as the coughs racked her body. Danny looked at the doctor, concern etched across his face.

"This will subside. I know that it hurts." The doctor said to Lindsay. Then her turned to the nurse who had moved to stand by the door, "Nurse, I am going to order some morphine. I would like it administered within the next fifteen minutes. We need to get her pain under control." The nurse nodded her head and walked out of the room.

"I'm going to go make sure that everything gets ordered, let me know if it does not get administered in the next fifteen minutes." The doctor said to Danny.

"Lindsay, please try not to talk. I would like for you to take a few spoonfuls of ice chips to wet your throat. Nothing more though, your stomach wouldn't accept it well." He waited while Lindsay nodded and said, "Okay" in a scratchy and weak voice. Then he left the room to check on the nurse.

Finally, Danny was alone with Lindsay. He still held her hand, but released it so that he could brush a few strands away form her face.

"You okay, Montana?"

Lindsay nodded her head, then tried to say, "Yes." But it came out as more of a croak.

She smiled and for the first time, Danny knew that things were going to be okay.

"I need to let Mac know that you're awake, but I'm not ready to share you yet. I think that if the news has to wait for another half hour or so, it wouldn't hurt 'em. What do you think?" Danny said with a smile.

Lindsay tried to clear her throat and then said, "Won't hurt them". Her voice was stronger than a minute ago, but the scratchy rasp remained.

Danny thought it sounded wonderful, he leaned down to kiss her for the first time in what felt like forever.

The nurse came in a few minutes later with the morphine and a plastic cup of ice chips. She did not say a word; just injected Lindsay's IV and put the cup on the bedside table, then walked back out of the room.

"She's a real 'people person', isn't she?" Danny said. Lindsay laughed and he couldn't help but kiss her again. He then picked up the cup and fed her a spoonful of ice chips. She slowly started to fade back into sleep. The morphine must have been doing its thing, because five minutes later, she was asleep.

Danny walked to the window to make the call to Mac. Everything was looking up.

* * *

><p>Paul had been watching the hospital for the last several hours. He knew that no one was suspicious of him, because he sat in a parked car across the road. He didn't know which room Lindsay was in, but her knew that sooner or later someone would lead her back to him. This was a smaller, rural hospital so he wasn't surprised when he saw that interloper, Danny walk to the window on his phone. He hated that that jerk was smiling with seemingly no care in the world.<p>

He would pay too. Paul was done with wanting to keep Lindsay for himself. Now he knew that she didn't love him. What he wanted now was revenge. They would both pay. He had not come this far to give up now. That wasn't an option.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"What do you mean you didn't get him? Lindsay had all but wailed, when Danny broke the news to her. He knew that she would be upset, and he tried to do everything to calm her.

"Sweetie, everyone is doing their best and you are still the top priority for the lab. We just have to wait. I know that you are scared, but I promise you, he will NEVER get you again. I won't let it happen." Danny said.

Lindsay seemed to be calming, "I'm sorry, Danny. I guess I had hoped that he was in custody and I wouldn't have to worry again. I don't think that the next time we meet, it will go very well. I mean I thought I had killed him…." Lindsay trailed off as she remembered the event.

"I know. Trust me! There is nothing more important that making sure that you are okay. And as far as the two of you meeting again, there will be a change. I will be there. That is, if he isn't caught first. You will never have to go through anything else dreamed up by that lunatic again." Danny said.

Lindsay looked at Danny, seeming to focus on him for the first time since he told her the news, "How did you know that I had almost killed him? I don't understand, things are still a little hazy."

"I was hoping to wait before we had this talk, but…." Danny could hear Lindsay's heart beat pick up on the monitor. He quickly crossed the room and grabbed her hand, "No. Nothing bad. I promise. It's just so weird." He waited for her heart beat to slow and become steady again. "We saw you on video." Danny then relayed all that they had experienced or witnessed while she was captured.

To say that Lindsay was appalled was an understatement. The times that she thought she was alone, she had spoken to herself, giving herself pep talks and sometimes even answering her own questions. She was mortified and extremely embarrassed to think that those she thought the most of would think less of her.

"Danny, I…" She fell silent. Danny thought that he understood what she was feeling.

"There is no reason to be embarrassed. We were so glad to see you. You have no idea how relieved I was to see you after you had been taken. It gave me hope that you would be alright. That you would come home to me again." Danny never wavered while he spoke. He wanted Lindsay to know that there was no reason to be ashamed of how she handled herself.

Lindsay took a deep breath and said, "I can understand that. It will just take me awhile before I can look everyone in the eye again."

"Look who in the eye?" Stella asked as she walked into the room. The door had been slightly ajar, so she had heard the last part of the conversation.

"Stella!" Lindsay proclaimed. She put her hands up, like a small child would have done who wanted a hug. Stella laughed and happily obliged.

"I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to see you, kiddo. You had us all worried. I'm very happy that you are okay. You look great, by the way." Stella said after releasing Lindsay from the hug.

"Mac is on his way in, he was just talking to the doctor out there. He wants to double check your security and safety while here." Stella said brightly. Mac walked into the room as she finished talking.

"Lindsay, you look a lot better than you did yesterday. However, I can't say that I could be happier than when you ran to me down that hill. How are you feeling?" Mac said with a smile.

"I'm doing better. They, thankfully, took out the breathing tube and central line. All I have left is the IV. I still hurt in almost every part of my body, but the doctor said I will heal over time. I guess, I just have to be patient." Lindsay reported to her boss and friend.

Mac chuckled, "You patient? This is going to be fun to watch."

"I can be patient when I want to. I just don't like it." Lindsay half pouted.

"Not to break up the fun, but I told her about our disappearing man." Danny interjected.

Mac and Stella sobered immediately, they both looked at Lindsay concerned.

"I'm better now, honest. I was upset when Danny first told me, but I have faith that he will be get what's coming to him. I just hope that it's sooner rather than later." Lindsay said to them.

Mac nodded his head, "We will find him and he will pay for what he did to you. For now, I have ordered my staff to protect you. There is no other team that I trust more than them. We aren't playing with this again. You are too important to all of us, to put you back in danger."

Lindsay blushed. She had always hoped that she was important to the team and had worked very hard to prove herself. To hear Mac say that she was important made her feel wonderful.

"So what's the plan, Mac" Danny asked.

* * *

><p>Over the next several days, Lindsay had many visitors. She was feeling stronger by the day and was itching to leave the hospital. She felt safe her, but confined. She wanted to go home, but didn't think that he home would ever feel the same again.<p>

Stella had gone to her apartment and packed a bag for her so she didn't have to worry about that right now. When she had mentioned this to Danny, he said that the call was hers, but she could always stay with him. He wasn't going anywhere. Lindsay wasn't sure though.

Lindsay had decided that she would leave the past in the past. Danny loved her and was sorry for his transgression. She loved him enough to forgive him and wanted to start over. Her fear was still real, though. They hadn't heard or seen anything form Paul in the last five days. No one was foolish enough to think that he wasn't going to come after Lindsay. They all feared (though no one would openly admit it) that he was planning another way to get to Lindsay. It had worked once they were concerned that it may work again.

Flack was hanging out with her today. Danny had had to go to the lab for a few hours. He was very reluctant to leave Lindsay, but she had insisted that he do so.

"You have to work Danny. We both know that. Besides, Flack will be here with me. I trust him and I know that you do to. Everything will be okay." Lindsay had told him.

There was a lot of hemming and hawing, but finally between Flack and Lindsay, he left the hospital for a few hours. He had pulled Flack aside and given strict instructions on what he should watch for and how he was supposed to protect her. Flack put up with it, but finally told Danny to get out. Danny had kissed Lindsay swiftly and left. Now they sat watching the TV when the doctor came into the room.

"Hello Lindsay. You are looking much better. I think that if you are ready, we can talk about discharging you from the hospital. What do you think?"

Lindsay could hear a choir sing, "That would be wonderful. No offense doctor, but these walls have been closing in on me for the last few days." She smiled as she looked at Flack. He returned the smile and turned to take his phone out of his pocket, presumably to call Danny, per his previous instructions.

As usual, getting discharged from the hospital was a lengthy affair. Flack had spoken to Danny and Lindsay. It had been decided that Flack would drive Lindsay to Danny's and they would meet him there. Lindsay was not ready to return to her apartment yet. Now they waited while the prescriptions were filled in the on-site pharmacy and physical therapy was scheduled. Then Lindsay was on her way out of the hospital, to freedom.

* * *

><p>The drive to Danny's was uneventful. Flack had asked that security walk he and Lindsay out to his car. They were both on edge and weary of the unknown. Luckily everything had gone smoothly.<p>

As they began to walk into Danny's apartment building, they found Danny waiting, rather impatiently, outside. Lindsay had vehemently refused to use a wheel chair and had asked that her foot be put into a boot so that she could walk on it without crutches. After watching her walk without assistance, the doctor had approved, but she still took longer to get from place to place. Her ribs continued to bother her, but she wasn't going to complain. She was alive and could survive anything.

"What took ya so long? I've been waiting out her for half an hour." Danny addressed this to Flack as he walked to take Lindsay's arm, hoping to help support her. She was grateful. She had done well in the hospital, but her energy was quickly depleting.

"It's takes time to get out of the hospital. We got here as soon as possible. Can we have this fight inside, it's cold out here." Flack returned.

"Sure. Sorry man. Just been worried." Danny apologized.

Flack acknowledged this with a wave of his hand and a smile. They all went to the elevator and waited while they ascended to Danny's fifth floor apartment. Once on the floor, Flack exited first, on full alert, with Danny helping Lindsay down the hall.

Danny prayed that they would get inside before Rikki came out to bother him. She had stepped up her bothersome intrusions on his life. She had just recently turned up at the lab, looking for him to have lunch with her. Danny had finally insisted that she stop seeking him out. He had told her that they couldn't even be friends. She hadn't cried, but looked undeterred and he wondered if she was going to try to approach Lindsay. Danny had been thinking about renting a new apartment, maybe one with Lindsay. A place for them to start over together.

Luckily, as he opened his front door and ushered Flack and Lindsay if, there seemed to be no movement form the apartment across the hall. Crisis averted.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Danny instructed Lindsay to go into the bedroom and lay down while he got her a drink of water to take her meds. Lindsay readily agreed. She didn't know how much longer she could remain standing. She was tired and very sore. She wanted to fall into a pain medication induced sleep.

The scream that ripped through the air stopped Danny and Flack in their steps. They both dropped what they had in their hands and went running. Flack took his gun out of its holster as was holding it at the ready.

When they reached the door, Flack re-holstered his gun and watched as Danny's face drained of color and his eyes oscillated from Lindsay's passive face and the half naked woman currently in his bed. At any other time, Flack would have laughed, but seeing the look of displeasure on Lindsay's face and knowing that she was being hurt by this, kept him from doing so. Instead, he walked to where Lindsay stood, just inside the doorway and put his arms around her slight frame. He then turned her around and assisted her out of the room.

As he walked past Danny he angrily stated, "Fix this." Then he continued helping Lindsay to the couch.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Danny said in disbelief and anger.

"I thought that since we kept missing each other, I would surprise you." Rikki threw her hands up in the air and mock yelled, "Surprise!" She had a slight smile on her face as though she found this funny.

That only infuriated Danny more. He was very aware that all she wore was a very tiny, black nighty that was extremely sheer. He could see every part of her body, as though nothing was on her body.

"Why would you think that I would want this? I have told you repeatedly that we are over. In fact, we never were anything to each other. You were a mistake. One that I won't allow to ruin my life. GET OUT OF MY BED!" Danny all but roared at her.

To her credit, Rikki did not seem phased. "Danny," she started patiently, "if you think about it, we are the most compatible. We have many things in common and we share a connection that no one else can."

"What?" Danny demanded, disbelief etching his face.

"Reuben."

Danny started to shake his head. "No. What we share is the grief, but I won't allow for it to lead me away from what….from who I really want. I'm sorry if you are hurt, but this" he made hand motions between them, "will never be anything. I love that woman out there and she has given me another chance. I won't hurt her again. She is my life."

Rikki's face contorted in rage. "Damn you Danny! You are supposed to be with me. You owe me that! You didn't save Rueben, so you should want to be with me!"

Again, Danny shook his head, un-phased by her outrage, "No. We aren't going down that road. You will not guilt me into changing my mind. I think that it is time for you to get dressed and get out of my home. How did you get in here anyway?" Danny asked.

As quickly as her rage appeared, it left her. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders then said, "Wouldn't you like to know." Then she got out of his bed and grabbed the robe that was laying across the bedspread, at the foot of his bed.

She made to walk out of the room, but Danny grabbed her arm.

"Yes. I would like to know!" He said angrily.

Rikki yanked her arm out of his embrace. Then said, "This isn't over Danny. We aren't done yet." She then turned around, almost walking right into Lindsay who had been standing listening to the exchange.

"Oh, you are done. I will not let you destroy my life. He doesn't want to be with you." Lindsay started to say, but was rudely cut off by Rikki.

Rikki put her hand up, into Lindsay's face and said, "You know nothing about our love, bitch. He wants to be with me, but you are in the way. Doesn't it bother you that 'your man' took me to bed and enjoyed it? He wanted me as much as I wanted him. We made love in that bed," Rikki motioned toward the bed behind her.

"How sad for you." Lindsay said. "That you have to cling to one man's mistake as though it meant more than it did." Lindsay slightly shook her head.

"How dare you!" Rikki replied. "You know nothing about me or what Danny and I have."

"Had. What you and Danny had. You aren't the one that he wants. He chose me. I know that it hurts, but believe it. He chose me and I chose him. You have to let go of this delusion that there is still a chance for the two of you" Lindsay replied sadly. Sympathy laced her words.

"Never. I know how he feels. He will want me again. He will get bored with you again and want me. I intend to be here for when that happens." Rikki said as she pushed past Lindsay.

Lindsay sucked in her breath at the impact and her body began to scream. The pain lanced through her body. Danny was instantly at her side. Holding her while she tried to steady her breathing and waited for the waves of pain to subside.

"Let's get you into bed," Danny started.

"If you think that I am going to sleep in that bed now, you are the delusional one. I may have forgiven you, but I can't say that I liked having the reality slap me in the face just now. I think that I'll have Flack take me home. There is no way that I'm staying here now." Lindsay said, there was more sadness in her tone than anger.

Danny tried to hold on to Lindsay as she gently pushed away from him, out of his arms. He relinquished her reluctantly.

"I want to go with you. Please, Linds. I didn't invite her here. I swear. I haven't been with her or wanted to be with her ever. It's you, only you. I promise."

Danny said, panic lacing his words.

"I understand that Danny. I just need to get away form here. I can't deal with this and with having a crazy person still stalking me. There is only one thing that I can handle at a time. I have reached my quota." Lindsay replied.

"Can I come with you? I don't think that I could handle being apart from you."

"I love you Danny. I truly do, but I won't step foot in your apartment again. This was just too much. If you want to come with me, that is your choice and I would be lying if I said that I didn't want you close." She reluctantly smiled.

"Let's go then. I was thinking about moving anyway. We can move anywhere that you want." Danny was hedging his bet that Lindsay would understand what he was saying.

A true smile lit her face, "Danny, are you saying…" Lindsay had started to walk forward, but then stopped abruptly and held her stomach. Danny was at her side instantly.

"What?"

"I think that I need those meds now. I need to sit down." Lindsay replied.

Danny nodded his head and picked her up, carrying her into the living room. He then deposited her gently, onto the sofa. Flack had watched this from the front door. He had made sure that Rikki returned to her apartment and did not leave. He would be having a lengthy discussion with Danny as soon as he could.

"Is she okay?" Flack asked.

"Yep, the pain meds have worn off and we need to get some into her. Then we are going to her apartment. She would rather not stay after the incident in there." Danny nodded toward the bedroom.

"Not a big surprise there." Flack mumbled as he walked with Danny into the kitchen. Then he looked at Danny and said, "We will be having a talk soon. Not now. Lindsay doesn't need to hear, but I expect an explanation."

Danny nodded his head, without saying a thing. He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. Then he picked up the medication that he had dropped onto the counter when he heard Rikki scream. Then he returned to the living room. He gingerly sat next to her on the couch and made her take two pills with the water.

"We'll leave as soon as they start to kick in. I don't want you to be in too much pain when we leave. I can carry you if need be." Danny gently told Lindsay.

Lindsay nodded slightly, then closed her eyes against the waves of discomfort that were wracking her body. Rikki knocking into her had reminded her that she was not as strong as she thought. She felt a bone deep weariness settle over her. She refused to succumb to it and forced her eyes open.

"I'm ready now. Let's get me home." Lindsay said as she tried to sit up. She moved slowly and with great care. Danny knew that she was in pain, but also knew how stubborn she could be when she had her mind set.

"Flack, could you grab the medication and her over night bag? I'll help her to my car. I think that it would be a good idea if you went with us. We need to clear the apartment before she can go in. We don't want any surprises when we get there." Danny said.

"Yeah. We've already had too many surprises today." Flack said sardonically.

Danny looked over at Flack and shook his head. Then he helped Lindsay up and half carried her to the door. The meds had started to take effect and she was needing the support to get out the door. Inwardly, Danny thought that if Rikki was outside, he was going to lose it. Luckily when they entered the hallway, her door remained firmly shut as they waited for Flack to lock up and lead the way to the parking garage.

"Okay Lindsay. Let's get you home." Danny said as he picked her up and carried her to the elevator.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Flack grabbed Lindsay's bags from the back of the SUV and followed Danny as he carried her into the apartment building. Lindsay had fallen asleep on the way to her place and neither man was willing to wake her up. She had already had a very rough day and they wanted her to sleep the rest of the evening away.

They entered the elevator and waited as it took its time ascending to Lindsay's floor. The more that he thought about the drama that he witnessed back at Danny's, the more angered he became. After all that Lindsay has been through, to have to walk into his bedroom and see that woman. The interesting thing was not that Lindsay was angry, but that she didn't seem angry or surprised. He was definitely going to have a talk with Danny as soon as they deposited Lindsay safely in her bed.

The elevator finally came to a stop and they exited, turning down the hallway toward her door. They arrived at her door and both stopped, halted by the police crime tape that criss-crossed her doorway. They had not uttered a word to each other since exiting the SUV. Flack could hear Danny's intake of breath when he saw the tape. To Flack's knowledge, Danny had not been inside since before Lindsay was taken. Flack knew what they were going to see inside and wanted to warn Danny. Before he could, Danny ripped the tape down and, still holding Lindsay, inserted a key into the keyhole and took his first step into the apartment.

Flack hurried after him and flipped on the entryway light so that they could see inside. Flack had expected Danny to use more caution, but he seemed to be a man on a mission and walked purposely down a short hallway. Flack followed, knowing that Lindsay's bedroom was that way.

"Danny, wait up. Let me do a walk through first," Don said as he half ran to intercept Danny from going into the room. Danny stopped abruptly and looked toward Don.

"I don't know what I'm thinking. I should have waited outside with her. I'll wait her until you give the all clear," Danny said, lost in his own thoughts and fears. He was worried that once Lindsay awoke, she would ask him to get out of her life.

He waited quietly as Flack flipped on the lights throughout the apartment, making it illuminate like a Christmas tree.

Flack returned to Danny a few minutes later and declared the house clear of danger. Danny walked into the bedroom with Lindsay and gently deposited her onto her bed. He pulled her shoes off and tucked the comforter around her. The apartment had not been lived in for almost two weeks and the air felt stale and cool. Danny was going to make sure that he turned the heat up so that Lindsay was comfortable before he went into the living room. He knew that Flack was still there and that he was mad about what had happened with Rikki at his apartment. For that matter, he was still pretty pissed about it himself.

Danny checked the thermostat in the hallway and then walked quietly into the living room. It looked the same as it had two days after she had disappeared. Danny never told anyone, but one restless night, he had arrived at the door, showed his badge to the officer who was stationed there and entered the apartment. He could still remember the gut wrenching heartache that he felt when he saw the gaping hole in her living room floor, where he knew that the carpet was removed because of the blood evidence that it contained. He also realized that her glass coffee table was missing. Danny spent the night sitting in her living room, knowing that this was the last place that she had been. He tried to feel her energy and could smell her scent. Danny had cried that night. It was the only night that he allowed himself to do so. After he was done, he went back to the office. He was ready to get her home and not let her go again.

Now, Danny stood and watched and waited for Don to make the first comment about tonight. He didn't have to wait long.

"What the hell happened between you and that woman, Rikki?" Flack said. His words were clear and crisp as though he was using a lot of restraint.

"I slept with her a few months ago, after her son Rueben was killed."

"So, that's why you and Lindsay hit a rough patch. I wondered if you did something hair brained like that. You are the consummate 'when things are going great, I have to screw them up' guy. Dammit Danny, does Lindsay know?" Flack asked.

"Yes. The night that that freak entered our lives, she and I had a long talk. We decided to start over, to try and repair what was broken," Danny said. He had moved toward the couch and sank into the cushions as he finished his statement. He felt bone tired and sleep was calling his name.

"No what was broken, what you broke!" Flack nearly exploded.

"Don, be quiet. We don't need to wake her up. I know that I screwed up. I freely admit that. I have to her, but I don't owe you an explanation." Danny said, heatedly.

"You're right, you don't owe me an apology, but you sure as hell owe Lindsay more than you have ever given her. She deserves better than anyone you have ever been with in the past," Flack returned, just as heatedly.

"You don't think that I know that? I screwed up, badly. Because of it I almost lost her. She forgave me and I told her that I love her. I've never said that before, to anyone other than my family. You, of all people, know what that means! These last few days have been hell for me. I couldn't get to her, I couldn't save her and I promised that I would always be there to protect her. How do you think that made me feel?" Danny said, his chest rising and falling quickly.

"Pretty bad, I would guess," Lindsay said from the hallway. She had heard the raised voices and knew instantly what they were fighting about. She had padded quietly and painstakingly down her own hallway to witness the altercation.

Danny recovered first, he stood quickly and rushed to her side. She had been holding onto the wall so he helped her to her couch.

"You shouldn't be out of bed Lidns," Danny said.

"What, you think that I could sleep through this loud ball busting going on here?" Lindsay said with a small smile. She was secretly glad that Flack was calling Danny on his earlier transgression. She may have forgiven him, but she had to admit, she was still pretty upset about it.

"Oh, Lindsay. I'm sorry that we woke you. I wanted to discuss a few things with Danno here, but I guess I got a little carried away." Flack said, blushing. He didn't want to cause Lindsay any more stress than she already had. He thought of her as a little sister who needed protecting.

Lindsay put up her hand and smiled, "I can't say that I am not just a little pleased that you are sticking up for me, Don, but I really am okay." Lindsay stopped and looked down into her lap. She was shivering slightly. Danny noticed and ran to the hall closet where he knew she kept spare throw blankets. He came back with a plush blanket with the scenes of a mountain on it. He then gently unfolded it and whipped it around Lindsay.

"Thanks," she said, giving him a small smile then she continued, "I learned a few things while I was on my unwanted vacation. First, life is very short. You cannot control what others do. They can choose to end it for you at their whim or discretion. Secondly, I knew that if I survived, I would not live my life with regrets. The biggest regret that I could think of was that of never finding happiness with the person that I truly wanted. And thirdly, I forgave Danny in that damn room, because in the grand scheme of things, I wanted to be with him." Lindsay stopped again, but could not look either man in the face. She had just bared her deepest thoughts and feelings for what seemed like the first time in her life and it made her embarrassed.

"However, if he EVER does anything as destructive again, I will personally set everyone on him. Flack can have first go, then Stella. I would be lucky to have anything left after you two," Lindsay now looked up at Flack with mirth in her voice and a sparkle in her eye. They both started to laugh.

"I wouldn't want to go up against Stella. That would be harsh," Flack said with a shudder.

"Are you two done yet?" Danny said with slight annoyance coloring his tone.

Both continued to laugh, but Lindsay stopped abruptly as a wave of pain overcame her. She looked up to Danny and he could tell instantly that she should have remained at the hospital. He knew better than to suggest she return, though. She would be unreceptive to any talk of returning.

"Flack, I think that it's time for her to return to bed. Are you going to stay the night?" Danny asked Flack.

"No, I think that you've got this. I'll be back in the morning though. I'll bring donuts and coffee." Flack said as he walked toward the front door.

"Thanks Don, for helping me out today and for hanging out with me at the hospital." Lindsay said from her position on the couch.

"For you, Linds. Anything. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Try to get some sleep." Flack said as he opened the front door and then closed it behind him.

"Are you hungry? I can whip something up, or I could call and have something delivered." Danny asked as he walked to the front door, securing the lock, before returning to Lindsay's side.

She was already falling back to sleep, so he gently lifted her and walked to the bedroom. Efficiently bestowing her under her covers and turning off the bedside table light as he left the room. He walked throughout the apartment, extinguishing the lights that he and Flack had forgotten to turn off. He sat on the couch, closing his eyes and thought distantly of making something to eat. Soon, he was softly snoring as the night outside became dark and quiet.

* * *

><p>The wind picked up outside and the bite was especially harsh as Paul sat across from Lindsay's apartment building and watched the lights being turned off in her apartment. He had hoped that she would want to return to her home. He knew that the police had found his place a few floors up. That was not a safe home base for him anymore. He felt giddy with anticipation. He knew that he could disappear now and no one would be the wiser. He planned to do just that, but first he had to fulfill his promise to himself. He was going to make Little Lindsay pay.<p>

He had decided how and when, now he was trying to be patient. The longer that he waited, he knew that his odds of succeeding increased. He could be patient for a few more days, he thought. After that, though, he was going to bring her back with him and make her beg for him to have mercy. He smiled, relishing the thought of her begging him for her life. He would let her for a while, but then he would take what he wanted from her and then he would take her life. If Danny got in his way, then he would take his too.

Things were looking up for Paul. He could feel it.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Lindsay awoke as the sky began to turn pink and orange. The bitter cold had created a pretty frost covering the window in her bedroom. She lay in bed and watched the playful way that the frost cast sparkly light when the sun began to move over the horizon.

She didn't want to move. The pain in her abdomen and foot was really intense. She vaguely remembered the events of last night. The evening was foggy after Danny and Don returned with her to her apartment. Unfortunately, the events with that woman, Rikki, were clear in her mind.

Lindsay was saddened and sickened that this woman could still have a hold on Danny. She realized that she would have to have another talk with him. She was willing to forgive the affair, but she was unsure if she could ever forget what happened: especially, if Rikki continued to pop up in his life, at unexpected times. She was not going to stand for it. She loved Danny and wanted a life with him. She knew that. She also knew that she would not be a consolation prize and have him settle. She deserved better than that.

Then there was the veiled invitation to move in with him. He didn't say it outright, and part of her thought that he must have meant something else. It's not like talking about moving in with someone is an easy conversation. The timing could definitely have been better. Seeing the woman who had sex with your boyfriend in his bed wearing little to nothing is not, in Lindsay's mind, an appropriate time to have that discussion. Lindsay knew without a doubt that her presence there was a surprise to Danny as well. It concerned Lindsay because she had heard Rikki refuse to tell Danny how she got into the house.

The hair on Lindsay's nape started to rise and she had a feeling that she was missing something. There was some piece of the puzzle that she couldn't figure out. Lindsay wanted desperately to figure out what it was, but her mind was clouded with pain. She knew that if she continued to take the pain meds, though her mind wouldn't clear and she wouldn't be able to see what she was missing.

So far she had been able to keep herself from examining the memories of her time with Paul. No one had asked her about it and she wasn't quite ready to divulge her inner most feelings and emotions. She knew that the time was coming, but since he was still on the loose, the focus was on finding him, not necessarily going over her past trauma.

Finally, she started to roll onto her side so that she could attempt to sit up. Mulling over things and events that were incomplete in her memory were not going to help her right now. She needed to get up and move, to do things. She was definitely done with lying in bed all day. As she rolled to her right side, she felt the muscles and tendons in her body cry out. Gingerly, she continued on. She wasn't going to sit around all day and the sooner that she started to do things for herself again, the better off she would be. Sitting up in bed was a victory in and of itself. The doctor had said that she needed to wear an air cast until the swelling had gone down enough to wear the boot properly. She saw the air cast on her bedside table and picked it up. Then, trying to bend as little as possible, she started to Velcro it into place. As she completed the last strap, her hand slipped and she went further down than expected, sending pain coursing through her stomach.

"Damn!" She wailed. She attempted to get her breathing back to normal and refrained form moving an inch. After several minutes, she was able to replace the strap and sit upright.

Now came the hard part, actually getting out of bed. She started by putting one foot in front of the other and gently put weight on them. Her ankle screamed in protest, but it bore her weight and she was able to take small steps without wanting to cry. Lindsay made it to her bedroom door and then stepped carefully across the hallway to the bathroom.

When she was finished using the bathroom and brushing her teeth and hair, she garnered the strength to make the walk down the hallway to the living room.

She stood in the entryway to the living room and looked around. The first thing that she noticed was that there was a huge gaping hole in her beloved beige carpet and her favorite table was missing. Sadness crept over her as realized that they were most likely taken as evidence.

She continued into the living room and sat down on the sofa where the blanket still lay from last night, when Danny had covered her. Panic coursed through her. Where was Danny?

"Danny?" she said, trying to keep her fear at bay. She stood back up and stumbled to the kitchen. No sign of him. She had now been in every room of the apartment and realized that she was alone. The prospect of being alone was too much. Panic now overrode common sense.

"Danny?! DANNY! DANNY!" She became hysterical as she made her way back into the living room. Suddenly the front door burst open and she was reliving a nightmare. Lindsay began to scream.

Arms enveloped her and soft words of reassurance were whispered in her ear.

"It's okay babe, you're safe. No one will hurt you. I'm here and I won't leave you. You're safe." Danny whispered this repeatedly until Lindsay's sobs subsided. She was shaking and hysterical.

"I thought….I didn't see you and you didn't answer when I called…then the door….I thought he was back…." Lindsay said haltingly through her tears.

"Shhh. I'm sorry. I heard a noise outside and went to look around. I never lost sight of your doorway. I was right outside. I promise, you were safe. I stayed all night. I'm sorry that I scared you." Danny said regretfully.

Lindsay shook her head and looked into his eyes, concern and understanding were present in them.

"No, I overreacted. I should have known better." Lindsay said trying to regain control of her thoughts and emotions.

Danny noticed that she was still shaking and looked as if she were going to collapse to the ground at any moment, so he gently walked her to the couch. Once there he sat and pulled her into his arms, covering her with the blanket as he did so. He held and cradled her there until she was in complete control.

As they sat together, neither was interested in losing the comfort they had found with one another. So, they sat in mutual silence, relishing the fact that no one was watching them or coming in to check on Lindsay. They were happy to be in each other's arms and alone.

Finally, Danny broke the silence, "You wanna talk about it?"

"Not yet. I don't want to relive it. Parts of it are still so….disjointed. I feel like I am missing something Danny. Like there is a piece of this mystery that only I can uncover. But, for the life of me, I can't figure it out. And it's driving me crazy." Lindsay, gently pulling away from Danny to look him in the eyes, said.

"It'll come back to you. You've been through so much in a very short amount of time. Doc said it would be normal for you to not have complete memories right away. He said that your brain would put up barriers on events that you weren't ready to deal with. Trauma does that. Doc also said, patience and time will heal you the most." Danny completed and kissed her on the head.

"Well, Sheldon would know. I just wish that I wasn't so confused all the time. I hate not being in control of the situation, or of myself." Lindsay stated as she nestled back into his arms.

Danny was about to respond when the doorbell rang. They both remained still, then Danny moved Lindsay off of his lap and onto the couch. Standing, he removed his gun from his side holster and walked to the door. He then looked out the peer hole. Smiling, he opened the door to admit Flack.

True to form, he had brought donuts and coffee from the shop down the street. Lindsay refused one. She was in too much pain to be hungry. When Danny realized that she was hurting, he immediately went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and her medication.

Lindsay protested a little about taking the meds, "They make me feel all groggy and sleepy".

"How 'bout if you take a full dose now and then half doses later. We need to get your pain under control." Danny bargained.

"Okay. That sounds good." Lindsay was in too much pain to truly argue. She greedily took the pills and lay down on the couch, falling asleep as the guys talked. Their friendship did not seem to have been negatively affected by last night's events, which Lindsay was grateful for.

Shortly later, the doorbell rang again and Lindsay was vaguely aware that Stella had arrived. There was some form of conversation and then Danny leaned down to talk with Lindsay.

"Hey, babe, I have to go into the office for a while. Stella's gonna stay with you. I'll see you soon. I love you." Danny said, kissing her on the top of the head, causing Lindsay to smile in her semi-conscious state.

Some time later, Lindsay awoke to see Stella sitting on the loveseat, reading a magazine.

"Hi" Lindsay said.

"Hi kiddo. How are you feeling? Danny said that once you woke up, you would probably need a few more pain meds."

"No, I should only take them every four hours." Was Lindsay's reply.

"Sweetie, you've been asleep for close to five. Let me get them and then we can order something in." Stella bounded up and off the seat and hurried into the kitchen area.

"Five hours? How is that possible? It feels like Danny just woke me to tell me he was leaving." Lindsay said in disbelief.

Stella chuckled, "You know that your body needs to heal and the meds help you to do that." She then handed a pill to Lindsay.

Lindsay may have been reluctant at first, but as she continued to awaken and move, she started to feel more and more pain. Maybe Stella was right. If she could just sleep some more everything would sort itself out.

"Okay, so what are you in the mood for? Pizza, tacos, burgers, Korean….should I continue?" Stella said with a smile.

"You know what I would really like? I would love some chicken and broccoli from that little place around the corner. " Lindsay was finally feeling the pangs of hunger and couldn't remember the last time that she had eaten.

"Oh, and egg rolls too. And maybe some chicken fried rice and egg drop soup. The number is on a menu on the fridge."

Stella began to laugh, but walked to the fridge and found the number. She then called and ordered enough food to feed an army.

"They said to expect the delivery in about forty-five minutes. Don't worry, Danny and Flack should be back by then. Danny said that he would be coming back to check on you around lunchtime. I ordered extra for the boys."

Lindsay was glad that Stella was with her today. They talked about everything, except Lindsay's missing captor. Lindsay was extremely grateful for that. The time passed quickly and soon there was a knock on the door. Stella and Lindsay exchanged looks, then Stella got up, weapon in hand and walked to the door. She asked who it was and looked out the peephole. The reply was that of the delivery guy from the place around the way.

Stella opened up the door, but didn't invite him in. She paid for the food and then locked the door after he left.

They both breathed a sigh of relief. Neither wanted to admit that they were afraid. All was forgotten when the food containers were opened and heaping portions were doled out onto plates. They guys showed up about five minutes later, grateful that Lindsay and Stella were talking and laughing when they entered. (Danny had taken Lindsay's spare key before they left.) They were even more excited at the wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. Soon they were all having a pleasant time with good food and even better company.

* * *

><p>Three floors down in the back alley, lay the body of the real delivery girl; she had been stopped by a man who had asked for the time. Once she looked down, the man stabbed her in the stomach and drug her body into the shadows behind the dumpster. He then grabbed the take out and proceeded to knock on Lindsay's door.<p>

Paul had been afraid that she would recognize his voice, but he was lucky that she didn't answer the door. He looked different of course. He couldn't go around unnoticed if his face was plastered all over the television and wanted posters on every street corner.

He saw the back of Lindsay as she sat on the couch and felt to urge to kill her friend and take her. She was there, in the room. It would have been so easy. He refrained, because it wasn't time yet. He had a plan, he would not divert from it. Soon, he would have her again and all would be right with his world. Soon, they had a date with destiny.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

It had been four days since Lindsay had arrived home and the team was still frustrated by the lack of information on Paul Tinder. Mac had exhausted his resources and came up empty. The cabin that Paul had kept Lindsay in was bare of all essentials. The cabin, like the apartment, was devoid of all furniture and belongings. The only room in the cabin that contained any information, was int eh room that Lindsay had been kept in. Mac knew that they were missing something; he would not believe that this man was a drifter and had no permanent residence. He had pored over every scrap of evidence, the little that they had, and found nothing. Adam was able to disconnect the computer and camera that were found, but so far that was a dead end as well.

He was beyond frustrate; he wanted this man behind bars. Mostly, though, he wanted Lindsay safe. He had spent a few hours with her at her apartment yesterday and he saw the strain on her face and felt the fear rolling off of her. She had asked if he was close to finding Paul, hope in her eyes. He was angry with himself for having to report that there was nothing that they had found to indicate where he had gone. The light had faded from her eyes and Mac could have kicked someone.

He, himself, had gone to Tinder's mother's house, but had been met by the family attorney and stated that neither the mother nor the sister would be cooperating with police. They were still under the impression that their "Paulie" would never do anything like this. They thought that the police were trying to pin this on an innocent man.

Mac looked up, irritated with the intruder of his private thoughts, when there was a knock on the door to his office. Danny stood there and he didn't look happy. Mac motioned him in.

"What's wrong?" Mac asked.

"Not sure yet Mac, but I think that we may have found another victim of Paul Tinder's" Danny said wearily.

Mac scrunched up his forehead in confusion and stated, "what makes you think that?"

Danny sat heavily in a chair across form Mac and said, "We got a call to a crime scene overnight about a dead body behind a dumpster. Apparently, the trash truck driver was late on his route and didn't get to this particular stop until later last night." Danny shook his head. Then he continued.

"The body was found in the alley across from Lindsay's apartment. She was a delivery person from a Chinese restaurant around the corner from Lindsay's apartment. According to the owner, she had been sent out on a delivery and never returned."

Mac said, "What makes you think that this is connected in any way with Lindsay?"

"The delivery was to her house, Mac. I was there a few days ago when Stella ordered the food. I ate it. It was delivered." Danny said, waiting for it to sink in to Mac.

"Have you spoken with Stella about this? Did the girl make the delivery?" Mac asked as he began to see things from a different angle.

Danny looked at him, then a look of surprise crossed his face, "You think Tinder delivered it, don't you."

Mac nodded. "Find Stella and ask her who delivered the food, male or female."

At that moment, Stella knocked on Mac's door, oblivious to the conversation happening inside. Mac motioned her in.

"Just the person we needed to talk to." Mac said as she entered.

"Why's that? Am I in trouble?" Stella said with a smile that quickly turned to a frown as she felt the tension in the room.

"No, you're not, but I want to ask you a question. When you ordered food the other day from the Chinese restaurant down from Lindsay's place, was the delivery person a male or a female?" Mac asked.

Stella looked perplexed, then thought about it for a second, accessing her memory.

"Male, why?"

Danny and Mac exchanged looks and filled her in on what had happened and their suspicions.

"Oh, God Mac. He was right there. Why didn't he try anything?" Stella said, sick to her stomach. The idea that she had spoken with and been within three feet of the man they were looking for alarmed her.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he is waiting for a time to strike. Waiting to see what pattern emerges. He waited once and watched, why couldn't her do it again?" Mac replied.

"Let's look over everything again." Stella said.

"We know that he can change his appearance, because you didn't recognize him. We also know that he is living somewhere that we haven't found yet." Mac said.

"His family if uncooperative and may be harboring him, we should look there. Maybe get a warrant," Danny stated.

Mac shook his head and said, "No, I've had Undercovers monitoring that house and they haven't seen any men in the vicinity other than their lawyer."

"Okay, but what are we missing?" Stella said.

"If he is watching Lindsay's place, then he would have to be visible in some way, maybe outside on a park bench or sitting in his car for long periods of time. We haven't been monitoring that. " Danny said, panic rising.

"Who's with her now?" Mac asked.

"Adam was there when I left," Danny said.

Mac picked up his phone and dialed.

"Adam, I need you to go to the window and look out. Is there a man on a bench watching the building or a man sitting in a car?" Mac waited while Adam looked.

"Okay, do not leave Lindsay's side. No matter what, Adam, do you understand? Don't alarm her, but stay inside with the doors locked, we're on our way." Mac stood as he hung up the phone.

"Adam said that when he looked out there was a man sitting in a car outside who made eye contact with him. Adam thinks that he was watching the apartment. Let's go." Mac said as he grabbed his jacked from his chair and walked out of the office. Danny and Stella behind him. Danny whipped out his phone to call Don. Stella did the same for Hawkes. They were going as a team and they were going to get their man, finally.

* * *

><p>Lindsay stepped out of the shower and felt refreshed. She knew that she was on edge, but refused to get upset about it. She knew that everyone was working hard to find Paul, she just needed to sit tight and wait for them to do so.<p>

She exited the bathroom and padded across the hall to her bedroom. She had taken a pain pill before her shower and felt it starting to kick in. She refused to take a full dose, but allowed herself to at least take the edge off. She dressed slowly. As she was about to brush out her hair, she heard a knock at the front door.

"Adam, will you get that?" she yelled out. She never heard a reply, but assumed that he answered it, because she heard the door open.

There was a thump and then the door shut. Lindsay instantly became concerned.

"Adam. Everything alright out there?" No reply came.

"Adam…." The door to her room opened and her brush fell from her startled fingers.

* * *

><p>Mac walked calmly down the sidewalk. He had passed the car a few feet back. What he saw was a man intent on watching the building across the street. Mac didn't think that he even registered Mac walking down the sidewalk.<p>

"Okay, Danny you take passenger side, I've got driver. The rest of you, fall in and support. Do not let him get away." Mac said into his walkie talkie.

"On my count, five.." Mac turned around and began to move back toward the vehicle, "four… three….two…..one." Mac thrust open the driver side door as Danny opened the passenger side. Guns raised they ordered the man to get out of the car. He complied instantly.

With his hands in the air, he dropped to his knees and started to yell, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot! The guy never said this would happen."

The team shared a look, "What guy, what do you mean?" Mac questioned.

"A guy paid me $100 to sit in that car and look at the window across the building. That's all I've done, honest." The man blubbered.

"Crap, he's ahead of us again." Danny said, then "How long have ya been watching?"

The man replied, "About two hours."

Danny knew that he was telling the truth, he also knew that Lindsay was in danger again. He started to run across the street and into the building.

"Danny wait, we need a plan," Mac said keeping up.

"I just need to make sure that she's okay."

Mac, Danny, Stella, Don, and Sheldon got into the old elevator and waited impatiently for it to arrive at the third floor. Once the doors opened, Danny took out his gun and hurried down the hallway to Lindsay's apartment.

The door was ajar and Danny didn't wait, he ran straight into the apartment yelling Lindsay's name. He stopped when he saw Adam lying prone on the floor, a knife sticking out of his abdomen, blood pooling around him. Stella shrieked and ran to Adam to assist. She had her walkie out and was calling in EMS.

Danny continued down the hallway, he continued to call for Lindsay, but there was no response. The apartment was empty. She was gone.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Lindsay attempted to keep her legs under her as Paul hastily drug her down the stairs. She stumbled and swayed, he had a vise-like grip on her right arm and did not give her time to catch her breath. All of her earlier injuries screamed as he continued on his mad dash downward.

Lindsay could not keep her mind focused, it continued to return to the sight of Adam on the floor. She prayed that he was okay. When Paul had showed up at her bedroom door, she knew that something bad had happened to him. Her worst fear were realized when he pulled her to her front door. Paul had said very little since he had grabbed her and hauled her quickly from her home.

"You don't have to do this. You could just leave and disappear. If you take me again, it will not end well for you." Lindsay said through gritted teeth.

When Paul first grabbed onto her she felt fearful and uncertain. Now, she was beginning to get angry. She had started to yell out for help as he manhandled her down the hallway, toward the emergency stairs. He had backhanded her so hard that she had fallen to the floor. He had roughly picked her up and continued toward his destination.

Lindsay wondered why he was in such a hurry. She thought that he would take his revenge in her apartment. He seemed to be in too much of a hurry. She was trying to get her thoughts together. He had eliminated the one person who stood in his way. Unless Adam saw this coming, if he did Lindsay was sure that he would have warned her, she didn't understand what the necessity for speed was. Unless...

"My team knows you're here, don't they?" Lindsay hedged. It was the only reason as to why he was moving so quickly and not staying at her apartment.

"I'll admit that it is a change to my plans. I had hoped to have some time alone with you before we needed to move, but I am better on the move anyway. This will still work." Lindsay was unsure of whether he was speaking to her or himself.

If her team was truly here, she needed to hold Paul off until they could get to her. Until Danny could get to her. It was her only chance for survival. She did the only thing that she could think of she sat down on the steps, refusing to move another inch.

* * *

><p>Danny looked desperately at Mac.<p>

"She's gone Mac. What do we do?"

"Adam is still alive, he's still breathing. My bet is that he is still in the building with her. We took the elevator here, so we know that he's not using it. What are the other modes of escape?" Mac said.

"The stairs. They're the only way!" Danny exclaimed. Turning on his heel.

"Danny, wait. We're coming with you."Flack yelled, grabbing the back of Danny's coat.

EMS had finally arrived and Hawkes stepped away from Adam, allowing them to do their job. Hawkes turned to listen as Mac issued his commands.

"Flack, Danny, and I are going down the stairwell, hopefully they haven't made it outside. Hawkes, I want you going down the elevator and ascending the stairs from the outside. We're going to box them in." Mac stopped talking as a gurney was wheeled in. "Stella, you're going with Adam."

With that, everyone went running to do as Mac bid. It was time to end this, once and for all.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing? Get up, NOW!" Paul was definitely losing it, but Lindsay refused to cooperate. She looked defiantly at him and stared, not replying to his request.<p>

This seemed to infuriate him further. He slapped her again in the face, causing her head to snap back. She still stubbornly sat. He kicked out with his foot, making connection with her already bruised and busted ribs. The pain was beyond measure, but she remained seated. She did, however, curl into a ball.

Paul grabbed her by the back of her neck and squeezed. Lindsay didn't know what to do. She was scared and starting to worry that her friends wouldn't get to her in time.

Then she heard the door to the stairwell open above her. Footsteps could be heard. Whoever it was was coming down quickly.

She called out, "Help me! Help!"

"Shut up bitch! You are ruining everything! Get up, we have to move!" Paul growled in her ear.

Lindsay continued to scream and refused to comply. Paul lost it then, he began to punch and hit, kick and stomp every inch that he could reach.

"Lindsay, we're coming!"

Lindsay was yanked roughly to her feet and spun around to meet the determined eyes of Mac and Danny. Flack descended quietly behind them, gun raised and at the ready.

"Let her go, Paul" Mac said with authority. "You can't go anywhere now. The rest of our team is coming up the stairs. You have lost."

Lindsay felt cool steel being pressed to her temple. "I haven't lost, she has. No matter what, she's dead. If I can't have her, then neither can you."

Lindsay was shaking. She listened to Paul and realized that her only chance was to get away from him. He was going to shoot her. He was quickly losing whatever sanity he had.

Lindsay looked directly into Danny's eyes, then she closed her own and became a dead weight in Paul's arms. As she had hoped, he wasn't expecting it and was forced to release her. She fell to the ground, hard, just as three shots rang out, reverberating on the stairwell walls. She remained on the ground with her arms covering her head until she heard a thump and then rushing feet. Danny had her in his arms as soon as the body hit the ground.

"You okay? Let me see you." Danny said.

Lindsay looked up, and she couldn't help it, but she started to cry. Danny cradled her while she cried and when Hawkes made it up the stairs, released her to his ministrations.

"Adam. How is he? Paul stabbed him. Is he okay?" Lindsay asked Hawkes.

He took his time to answer her, concentrating on her injuries. When he finally did respond, he sounded grim, "Stella went with him to the hospital. He still had a pulse when we arrived, but he was fading fast. Honestly, I don't know."

"This is all my fault. He was after me. Poor Adam." Lindsay felt another tear roll down her face.

"No, Lindsay this was not your fault. This was his," Mac said pointing to Paul's body. Lindsay didn't say anything.

Mac crouched down to where she was sitting and took her hand. "This is not your fault. What happened to Adam was not your fault. You are not to blame, that man lying over there is. I want you to remember that. Don't let it eat up inside. Guilt has a way of doing that. You should never feel guilty for living, Lindsay. Adam is a fighter and I have ever belief that he will make it. " Mac said.

Lindsay felt a warmth wash over her. Then as she looked around, the room started to tilt and come in and out of focus.

"Mac, I…."

"Lindsay, stay with me. Sheldon, what is happening?" Lindsay could hear Mac from a great distance. She didn't hear what Sheldon replied, she could hear no more.

* * *

><p>Here he was again, sitting in the blasted waiting room of the hospital, waiting on word of Lindsay's condition. After she had lost consciousness in the stairwell, EMS had whisked her off to the hospital. Hawkes was the only one who got to ride this time. Mac drove himself and Danny to the hospital. Flack was left to deal with the body and then he had a side discussion to have on Danny's behalf.<p>

Both Flack and Danny were there when Paul took his last breath. Danny had one question for him.

"Who promised Lindsay to you? I want a name."

Instead of answering, Paul began to laugh, then coughed as blood seeped out of his mouth, "Wouldn't you like to know. I hope they get her now. She really wanted Lindsay gone. She wanted you, didn't she? Why, I'll never know." His speech was slowing and becoming more garbled as he reached the end of his life. Danny would never forget the look in his eyes as they faded and his life was extinguished.

Danny and Flack had looked at each other. No words were needed. Flack said that he would deal with the other issue. Both men had the same uneasy feeling about who was responsible for this whole sordid mess. While Danny waited on Lindsay, Flack was going to make a visit to Rikki.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Three months later, Danny and Flack finished carrying the sofa up the two flights of stairs to Danny and Lindsay's new apartment.

"Put it over here under the window." Lindsay said as she brought up the last box from the U-Haul, behind them.

Danny and Flack did as they were told and then Danny turned to Lindsay while Flack flopped down on the couch that he had just put down.

"Hey, hey Linds. You shouldn't be carrying that. I told you that I'd get it." Danny said as he hurried over to Lindsay and removed the box from her hands.

"Danny, I don't need you to do everything. All you've let me bring up are the pillows. I can help also. I'm not going to break, you know." Lindsay said, exasperated.

Danny had refused to let her carry anything over five pounds. Lindsay attempted to make him see that if she helped, they could move everything inside more quickly. He hadn't budged. He was adamant that she not lift anything at all, he only conceded to the five pound weight when he realized that she was going to help anyway.

"I know, but you are still healing. I don't want anything to happen, that would set you back. " Danny said with a grin.

He was very happy that they were taking their next step together as a couple. He had been trying to talk her into moving in with him ever since she was re-released from the hospital after Paul died. The doctor's had declared that she had opened a few stitches and suffered another concussion, but was otherwise, alright. Danny was able to take her home two days later. He hadn't left her side since.

"Okay, I'll give you that, but really I am going to help unpack. This is my home too." Lindsay said as she disappeared down the short hallway to the kitchen.

Lindsay had loved this apartment the moment that she walked into it. There were twice as many windows, making the whole apartment seem larger and bright. She liked how the kitchen was a separate room in the apartment. There were two bedrooms and a huge living room. She felt wonderful as she walked to the counter to start unpacking the boxes.

"Pizza's here!" Adam yelled as he walked into the apartment.

" 'Bout time. We've starving here." Flack said, good naturedly.

Lindsay walked out of the kitchen carrying a roll of paper towels that she had just found in a paper bag on the floor.

"Danny, why don't you take the pizza from him. I'm not the only one still on medical restriction?" Lindsay said with a wink to Adam.

Adam had suffered a massive injury to his heart. When they had taken him into the operating room, the doctors were unsure if he would survive. Luckily, the severed artery was fixed after a twelve-hour surgery. Everyone had waited for the positive news in Lindsay's hospital room. Even three months later, Adam became winded more easily and required more rest than he had before. The doctor's were optimistic that he would regain, if not all, at least 90% of his previous heart function. He was now utilizing about 75%. Mac had him working a shorter shift and he was still on medical restriction at work. No one minded picking up the slack or helping him when he needed it, they were all relieved that he survived.

"I've got it. I took the stairs a few at a time and rested the whole way up." Adam said, blushing a little. He knew that Lindsay was joking, but it still stung a little. He still struggled to accept that he was not as capable as he used to be, but the team were usually kind enough to not mention it.

"Of course you do, buddy. Lindsay's just mad that I wouldn't let her carry ridiculously heavy boxes and the bed upstairs by herself." Danny said.

"Oh, no. Lindsay you shouldn't be doing that. Danny's right." Adam said, catching on to what was happening. He had offered to help move, but Danny and Flack assured him that they had it under control, but he could bring the pizza if he wanted. He had jumped at the chance to be a part of the group.

"Hey! Who's side are you on anyway?" Lindsay said as she swatted Adam's arm.

"The winning one, babe. The winning one." Danny whispered in her ear. She started to laugh as she realized that she wasn't going to win any argument where she was allowed to help move heavy objects.

"What kind we got here?" Danny said as he grabbed the first of the two boxes of pizza's.

They all sat around the room and talked about the latest football game and plans for he night as they ate their food.

The doorbell rang and Lindsay jumped up to get it, "I've got it. I wonder who it is, we haven't given the address out yet." Unease swept over Danny. He was still on edge and weary whenever something out of the ordinary occurred. Mostly, things ha returned to normal in their lives, but there was always a little worry in the back of Danny's mind, that something would happen to screw it all up again.

Flack had arrived at Rikki's house to question her, only to find that she had moved out and taken everything with her. There was no forwarding address and the Super had said that he was just as shocked as Flack was, because Rikki had already paid for the next month's rent.

No one knew where she was or what she was doing. Danny and Flack had discussed the situation at length since then. There was no concrete evidence that she was a part of Paul Tinder's master plan, but she was the only one that came to mind when he used his last breath to implicate a woman as helping him. The only woman that either one of them could think of, that would have it out for Lindsay, was Rikki. Unfortunately, they were at a dead end. She had disappeared and hadn't been heard from since.

Lindsay opened the door to find a flower deliveryman standing at on her doorstep.

She instantly turned to Danny, fear in her eyes.

"The last time that I got flowers, it didn't go so well. Please, tell me that you sent them." She said.

Danny was on his feet and at the door while she was still talking.

"No, babe. They're not from me." Danny was concerned now. He thanked the deliveryman and got his contact information, just in case. Then he shut the door and carried the large vase of lily's into the living room. Adam and Flack had stopped eating and were quietly watching as the scene unfolded.

Danny set the vase on the coffee table and all four of them quietly looked at it. Slowly, Lindsay reached out her hand to pick up the card from within. She carefully opened the envelope that was addressed to the "Messer household". She pulled out the card inside and froze. She looked up, her heart in her chest, to meet Danny's eyes.

"_Congratulations darling. I love the new home that we will soon share. It is what I have always wanted. Hope to see you soon, Rikki_." Lindsay read.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you for reading my first fanfic. I hope that you have enjoyed it! As you can see, I will be returning with a sequel to this one very shortly. Please, let me know what you think and I am always open to suggestions. Happy reading!


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